HIS TORI
HISTORIC
WEBSTER
Vol. 12 Issue 1 Spring 1987
Features
3
Designer's New Spring
Hats Reflect Influence
of 1930's
A review in the Richmond TimesDispatch
writes about Sara Sue's
new spring hat collection shown in
the famous Miller and Rhoads
department store.
by Anita Black
4
Designed for You by
Sara Sue
The world's most famous hat
designer, Sara Sue Sherrill, was a
Webster native. Her hats, now in
the Valentine Collection in
Richmond reflect the world.
by Ann Melton
8
Reflections
Janice Monteith Blanton continues
her quarterly column with a portrait
of one of Webster's favorite
neighbors -- Byrd Allison.
The Cover: The program cover for Sara Sue
Sherrill's annual spring show
featured "Colorful California."
SPEAKING EDITORIALLY
A New Face For Historic Webster
HISTORIC
WEBSTER
President
Midred Cowan
Box 186
Webster, NC 28788
Vice President
Dale Coward
Norton Road
Cashiers, NC 28717
Secretary-Treasurer
Margaret and Jim Simpson
Box 126
Webster, NC 28788
Membership Chairman
Kate M. Rhinehart
Box 145
Webster, NC 28788
Editor
Joe P. Rhinehart
Box 356
Webster, NC 28788
The Webster Historical Society, Incorporated,
is a non-profit organization founded
in 1984 to study and preserve the history
and culture of the area. The annual
membeship fee is $5.00 paid to the memrnlrship
chairman, Box 145, Webster, NC 28788.
The society publishes Historical Webster
quarterly, and it is mailed to the members.
The editor welcomes material for publication
and will give consideration to any submitted
articles.
Spring 1987 is bringing a new and clean look to Webster and a new and clean look to Historic Webster.
For the life of the publication it has been a tabloid. Because of the odd size it is hard to preserve, and now
that our issues have become collector's items, many society members are saving their back issues. This
new magazine size is much easier to fit into a notebook, easier to handle, and easier to read. We hope that
you will enjoy our new layout.
Ann Melton of Waynesville writes the feature article this issue. Sara Sue Sherrill left Webster to become
one of the world's foremost hat designers. Her travels took her over the world, and her hats are now in museum
fashion collections. You will enjoy Ann's article as well as the pictures that accompany it.
It will soon be summer and one of the society's activities will get underway in July, the fifth season of
"A Summer Evening in Webster." Plan to attend the programs on July Sunday afternoon at 5:30 at the United
Methodist Church.
Webster was saddened this winter with the death of two of its strongest members. Mrs. Davie Coward
Sutton and Mrs. Gracie Hall Brown. Both were charter members of the society and contributed to Historic
Webster. They will be profiled in a later issue.
The summer 1987 issue will feature the Spencer Clark Trio, Mary and Spencer Clark, and Hoyte Roberson. The society this past winter,
issued its first cassette, "A Summer Evening in Webster" featuring the music that the Trio has performed in the summer programs.
The casette is selling an dis available by mail from Box 145, Webster. It will also be sold at the summer programs. The cost is $8.50.
Plan to attend the society's annual Fourth of July celebration, "Miss Lucy's Picnic." The Karchers, who now own the Hedden House,
Miss Lucy's home, will host the event. Local newspaper will carry information on the picnic and the summer programs.
2 Historic Webster Spring 1987
...
Designer's New Spring Hats
Reflect Influence of 1930's
The look of the 1930's is influencing
couturiers and hat designerincluding
Richmond's Sara Sue.
There are several creations in
her spring collection-which will
be presented in a fashion show at
3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Miller &
Rhoads tea room-which probably
have delighted Jean Harlow or
Carole Lombard.
The are off the face on one side
are worn asymmetrically, so that
the face shows-on one side. And
lucky is the lady whose good profile
is the one that shows.
The show this year is called
"Colorful California and the
Wonders of the West."
Spring hats this year are
characterized by their light airy
look and one of Sara Sue's innovations
is the lightest, airiest imaginable.
It's a snood of coarse
veiling, designed to be worn with
by Anita Black
or without a calot to which it attaches
with snaps. There are
flowers on the veiled snood, but not
enough to keep a lady's crowning
glory from showing through.
Sara Sue is known for her "convertible
hats" and the one she has
named Coronado is in three parts
of matching silk print. There is a
ca:p. A scarf to protect the hair
pulls through the cap. This arrangement
is topped by a matching
Mexican sombrero.
Customarily her spring-tosummer
show is geared to hats inspired
by place names and this collection
includes not only California,
but all of the far western part
of the country. For example, there
is "Reno" for a second wedding.
There is a great variety in
silhouettes ranging form oversize
cartwheels to the traditional
spring floral confections.
However, the flowers are not
California flowers. Sara Sue uses
imported flowers and fabrics
almost exclusively.
"Sunset Strip," a turban, is folded
away from the face to the back
of the head, in an orange-pinkyellow-
white print.
"Farmer's Market" is a widebrimmed
straw with a detachable
wreath of field flowers at the
crown.
"Champagne Music" is straw
with glitter and maline. "Palm
Springs" is a big-brimmed multicolor
straw to wear with a good
linen dress of almost any shade.
"Young Star" is shaped almost
like a baby bonnet, but with
sophistication. And "Carmel,"
(Carmel is known for its artists'
colony) is a hand-blocked linen artists'
colony) is a hand-blocked
linen artist's tam.
Historic Webster Spring 1987 3
Let Sara Sue's
hats lift your
spirits. Drop by
the Amethyst
Room, try on the
hats, and you will
find yourself a
prettier, smarter
person in a hat
DESIGNED FOR
YOU BY
SARA SUE.
HISTORIC
WEBSTER
SPRING 1987
DESIGN FOR YOU
BY SARA SUE
Sara Sue
Sherrill and
some of her
models from
shows that she
presented annually
in Miller
and Rhodes
department
store in Richmond
where she
was the milliner
for many years.
by Ann Melton
Sara Susannah Sherrill (Sara Sue) was born
September 16, 1908, in Webster, the daughter
of William Robert Sherrill and Mary Mabel
Cowan, grand-daughter of Joseph Cowan and
Sara Allman Cowan.
Sara Sue lived in Webster until she was 10
when the family moved to Sylva. Her father,
Will Sherrill, was a lawyer, and when the court
house moved from Webster to Sylva, he bought
property there to be closer to his work.
Sara attended and graduated the Sylva Collegiate
Institute, a private Baptist school. The
following year she attended the North Carolina
College for Women in Greensboro.
Home in Sylva for summer vacation, she
worked in a store in Sylva called The Paris
Store, which was owned by Mr. Simons. She
worked with a lady named Inez Sullivan. Ms.
Sullivan realized her creativity and encouraged
her to go to Atlanta and study fashion.
Sara Sue's mother, Mary Cowan Sherrill, had
worked for some time for Mattie McKee (Mrs.
Lyndon McKee) making hats in a millinery
shop which Mrs. McKee had in her home. This
inspiration, plus the encouragement of Ms.
Sullivan took Sara Sue to Atlanta where she
trained as a milliner. Her first job was in Toccoa,
Georgia. From there she moved to
Asheville where she worked for Denton's.
Leaving Asheville, she moved to West Palm
Beach, Florida, and then to Richmond,
Virginia, where she became the chief designer
for Miller and Rhodes, Richmond's premier
department store. Shortly after moving to
Richmond, she met Gorden Francis (Bud)
Hamon, Jr., and they were married November
26, 1930. Eight years later they had a daughter,
Francis Sherrill Hamon, born November 6,
1938. Sherrill married Charles DuVal Aiken II
in 1959, and they had a son Charles DuVal Aiken
III. Sherrill died in 1966.
Sara Sue Retired from Miller and Rhodes in
October 1973 after 38 years.
During those 38 years she gave two shows a
year, one in September, the fall and winter
show, and one in February, the spring and summer
show. The s)lows were candlelight teas
given in the Tea Room at Miller and Rhodes.
The models at times wore native costumes
which Sara Sue had bought in a particular
country, and the stage and runway were
decorated with art objects also bought in that
country.
To gather inspiration and materials for these
shows, her summers were spent traveling. She
traveled to, and did shows on such places as
the Orient, the near East, India, the European
cuntries, the British Isles, the Mediterranean
world, Mexico, and Canada. She also designed
hats depicting geographic areas in the
United States such as New Orleans and the
Mardi Gras, the West and Hawaii. Her plans
for hats began on the trip with both mental and
written notes, and included shopping trips for
fabrics and appropriate ornaments.
An excert from one of her travel logs gives
and idea of her work :
"The Far East will be the inspiration for our
Fall and Winter collection to be shown at a
fashio tea, in early Fall in the Tea Room,
Richmond.
"Japan, Hong King, and Thailand are the
most colorful countries I have ever visited -each
one so different, each so beautiful in its
own way.
"I worked through our Far East buying office,
William E. Conner Ltd., Far East Buying
Service. in Tokyo I worked with Mr. Ando of
that organization, buying exquisite silk
brocades. A pleasant experience here was a
visit to the factories where I watched the weaving
of materials. It was so interesting to see the
Historic Webster Spring 1987 5
beautiful patterns to come to life as a shuttle
was passed back and forth by skillful hands.
The weaver sits on a low cushion with his legs
crossed under him while working.
Invitations for our Fall Show will be printed
on wood block prints. I saw the artist carve the
design in a block of wood. Each color is put on
separately and rubbed with a buffer pad, -
sometimes a print will be handled eight or ten
times depending on the number of colors used.
My first stop was Tokyo, a big, busy city,
with much construction going on due to the
Olympics being held there. I learned in Tokyo
that most of the things I was looking for would
be found in Kyoto the old capital of Japan.
I drove from Tokyo to Hakone. Enroute stopped
at Kamakura for a look at the second
largest Buddha in the world, and the most
beautiful. I stayed at the Fijiyama Hotel. Next
day drove by Hakone Lake with Mt. Fuji rising
above it in the background. Luckily for me,
the clouds parted long enough for me to see Fuji
in all of its snow-capped glory.
Took the train to Kyoto where I found what
I had always pictured Japan to be .. . beauty
everywhere ... temples, gardens, flowers, all
so picturesque and colorful. Here I bought
beautiful silks, ornaments for the hair, and
handwoven obis (the wide sash worn with
kimonos) to be made into gorgeous hats. Worked
with Mr Ken Yamamoto of Conners, Ltd.
After a successful three-day stay in Kyoto
and Osaka, drove to Osaka airport for flight to
Hong Kong. Our flight was delayed by typhoon
"Viola" and we spent most of the night in the
airport. Arriving in Hong Kong at sunrise next
morning, thankful that it was Sunday and a day
of rest.
Hong Kong is a British Crown Colony -
much too colorful to be true. Modern Hong
Kong is an Asian "West Berlin," bordered by
Red China. Its harbor is as beautiful as Rio de
Janeiro. The seeker of true Asia can find only
small bits of ancient China. It is a melting pot
of every nationality because of its free port.
There were 700 custom tailors within a radius
of six blocks of our hotel. In Hong Kong I was
assisted by Mr. Andrew Xavior of the Far East
office. Bought gorgeous silks, brocades, satins,
bead work and motifs, all handmade. The
Chinese, like the Japanese, are so very artistic
. .. everything is a work of art. My husband
said you could go broke in Hong Kong saving
money ... there were so many bargains. Saw
two beautiful fashion shows. One on the roof
garden of the Hong Kong Hilton, where the
peaks and beautiful harbor formed the
background. The audience, as well as models,
was beautifully dressed and bejewelled. The
other was a showing of Thai fashions designed
in all Thai silks. This show, held in the Nine
Dragon Room of the New President Hotel in
Kowloon, included a performance of the Thai
classic dance.
6 Historic Webster Spring 1987
VIRGINIA'S FINEST DEPARTMENT STORES
I K E B A N A I s~ra Sue's showing of her spring ond Summer het '
ploce this coming Tuesdoy, Februory 9th, ol 3:30P.M., in the M&R Teo Room, Fii
Using the beautiful ond delicole moteriols which she personally collected in Jopo•
endeavored to lronslote into her new designs the exquisite style end spirit of
the or! ond life of Jopon.
We show Sera Sue~s design entitled "Ikebana," only one of this collection "made for you by Se;
Reservations for the showing this coming Tuesday may be mode et the M&R Customer Service [
Stroot Floor. J oa, l r.
Sara Sue, M&R's Own
Cuatom Millinery Designer
Glistening world of inspiration for Sara Sue's new millinery collection,
at a Candlelight Tea Showing in M&R Tea Room,
Wednesday, September 7th, 3:30 p. m.
All the dozzle of sun·glint on silver gl ocier . . . reflected in Soro Sue's
newest, most f~scin~ting millinery collection-inspired by her recent vis it to the
Sco ndinavian countries. Come to the Premier Showing for your own inspiration.
Rediscover the delights of high fo shion in breothtolingly beautiful military
creations that con be .. designed for you by Soro Sue'' from the finest of furs ond fobrics.
A fe stive l(lpplond hot of red end blue cob- rec reates the ·.•1\l<"'med mt1j~ly of the .REINDEER HERO. SONG OF
NORWAY echoed in e sumptuous swi.4 of natural rt~nch mint STOCKHOLM remembf!r~ o mysterious movie queen
ir. a slouch-y hat of beige end ten.
M11ht your Tee Showin<'l r~~~tv<"linn~ 111 M.tR Tir~#ll . B.,nth, D(lwnt{)wn. Tell , $1
The city of Bankok is like a jewel, all the
temples are so colorful and graceful, many of
them bordered by canals filled with pink lotus
blossoms. The temples are encrusted in floral
and other designs made in porcelain and gold
leaf ... the roof tops all pointing to the sky in
graceful design. I bought beautiful Thai Silk
and quaint farmer hats.
I went to the factory where the famous Thai
silk is made and saw it being hand loomed. The
beautiful colors are indescribable. I was told
that the silks are rinsed in the dirty river water
and that is the secret to their beauty. With the
assistance of Mr. Lert Sirimonkol of
Metropolitan Trading Co.
I visited some of the places of interest ...
the Royal Palace, walked through the gardens
and public buildings including the golden
throne room where the Royal receptions are
held, saw the emerald Buddha which was
draped in stoles of precious stones.
Left Bangkok, for home, Tuesday, June 9 at
11 :00 A.M. and arrived in Honolulu Tuesday the
9th at 10:45 A.M., having crossed the International
date line. We were very interested when
the pilot announced, "your are now flying over
South VietNam," ... but were thankful we did
not have to land there.
There is much more to tell but time and
space do not permit. This was the most interesting
of all my trips. Materials have arrived
now, and many of them have been worked
into hat designs for the Fall and Winter season.
Occasionally the hat collection ideas were
gleaned from books, such as mythology, the
fairy tails of Hans Christian Andersen, or the
Romantic period from artist Gainsborough to
Charles Dana Gibson and the century-old
Gody's Lady's Book.
A customer would come into her shop, "The
·Amethyst Room" for a hat to be custom designed
for her. The materials were selected, many
times chosen to match a particular suit or
dress, pinned together, and fitted in the
presence of the customer. The hat was then
sent to the workroom where 13 women did all
the sewing and two men did all the blocking.
Each hat bore a label which read "Designed
for you by Sara Sue" and refleted artistry,
symmetry, and individuality. They were made
of the finest furs and fabrics bought while in
a particular country. She endeavored to
translate into her design the exquisite style and
spirit of the art and life of each country, region,
or period. Each hat was given a name which
reflected a mood of the country.
After retiring, her personal collection and
scrapebooks were given to the Valentive
Museum in Richmond to become part of its permanent
costume collection, the third largest in
America, and which dates from 1668.
After retiring Sara Sue spent her time in
traveling (doing a six month cruise around the
world), painting, cooking, reading, and club
and church work.
Historic Webster Spring 1987 7
REFLECTIONS
BYRD ALLISON by Janice Monteith Blanton
As I grew up in Webster, "There goes
Byrd," would be repeated several times a
day as Byrd Allison was seen going up and
down the street, gathering and sharing information
as she went.
And if you listened carefully you could
usually hear Byrd humming.
Byrd could always be relied on to know
what was going on with each Webster
neighbor and to freely communicate happenings
appropriate with other neighbors.
Some neighborhoods had a local newspaper,
we had Byrd, and we all loved her!
Byrd's routine presence on the streets of
Webster is missed now by her neighbors and
friends because she now lives in a Haywood
County nursing home. Her friendliness and
jolly chuckle during her brief visits served
in inform and cheer folks.
Thinking about Byrd, I'm remined of
HISTORIC
Box 145
Webster, NC 28788
many things. First, she is the mother of
Jack, my special friend. Byrd raised Jack
single-handedly during a time when the going
was tough. Byrd was tough too, and she
always kept going, doing whatever she
could to best take care of herself and "her
boy." She loved Jack dearly and constantly
kept his needs upmost in her mind. Byrd
welcomed us Webster kids into her home
and talked with interest with us about our
various endeavors. I've spent many hours
in her various Webster homes sitting, talking,
and philosophizing with her and Jack.
Byrd is very special to me and my family
because after my mother's car accident
and while she was in the hospital so long,
as well as after she was convalesing, Byrd
was Billie and my interim mother. She
stayed with us during the day doing housework
taking care of Mama, and "mother-ing"
Billie and me. I don't know what we
would have done during this time when our
mother was away or an invalid without
Byrd.
It was Byrd who taught me the beginnings
of cooking and who listened to my various
childhood catastrophies for a long time.
Byrd was always welcome in our home for
she felt like one of our family. Even after
Mama was better and did not need constant
help, and Byrd was on another job, Byrd
never ceased to routinely check on our
welfare.
Byrd was from Savannah community. I
don't know what brought her to Webster--I
never thought to ask. But I'm glad she came
because she is a good Webster "daughter"
and contributed a fine Webster "son" in
Jack. They will go down in Webster's
history as fine Webster residents and good
friends to all.
