Give Local York is just around the corner!

Support the History Center during this year’s Give Local York and join us in the work of collecting and sharing the stories of York County’s history. The giving starts at 9 p.m. May 1 and continues online for 24 hours. Your gifts will help us care for our artifacts and offer free and low-cost programs for the community. Bookmark our giving page and come back on May 1 to donate! It’s 24 hours to make history. Let’s do this — together!

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Cabinet of Curiosities, Ep. 7: Bird of Paradise Hat

June 18, 2024
2024 06 CoC Social Bird Of Paradise

Hats with a feather need special care

Fashion, globetrotting explorers and a bird that couldn’t catch a break. Hear from Emily Immel of our Collections Department as she dives into the interesting story of our Bird of Paradise Hat, in this month’s Cabinet of Curiosities video. Why did hats with feathers become a sign of status? Why are these hats a thing of the past? How do we take care of it?

Watch all the episodes on our YouTube channel:

Episode 7: Bird of Paradise Hat

Episode 6: Santons

Episode 5: Scott Tissue Dress

Episode 4: Boiler Bolt and Lantern Ring

Episode 3: Plaster Fruits and Vegetables

Episode 2: Ebony and Ivory Elephants

Episode 1: The Colobus Monkey Fur Cape

About the Series

With close to 90,000 artifacts in our collection, the York County History Center has many items that are seldom or never on public display. In this video series, Cabinets of Curiosities, we introduce you to some of the oddities in our vast collection.

Watch the video here.

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