Lula “Mae” Reeves, some of the first Black girls in Philly to possess her personal industry, created one-of-a-kind and customized hats for celebrities, socialites, pros and churchgoing girls in downtown Philadelphia for over 50 years.
She made hats for on a regular basis put on, hats for particular events, and luxurious “showstoppers,” as she known as them. Her famous person purchasers incorporated Eartha Kitt, Marian Anderson, Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald and participants of the du Pont and Annenberg households.
A purple cartwheel-style hat with plant life from Mae’s Millinery.
Choice of the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition/Reward from Mae Reeves and her youngsters Donna Limerick and William Mincey, Jr.
I’m a museum specialist on the Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition on the Smithsonian Establishment and knowledgeable in costumes, textiles and millinery model.
In 2009, I used to be known as upon to talk over with Mae’s Millinery, her former retailer at 41 N. sixtieth St. in West Philadelphia, to assist make a choice gadgets for a brand new everlasting exhibition on the Smithsonian that recreates Reeves’ store and showcases a few of her surprising designs.
I additionally met Reeves in individual for the primary time that day at a nursing house in Darby, Pennsylvania. She was once 96 years previous.
A couple of years later, I returned to Philadelphia to wait Reeves’s a hundredth party. It was once all the way through that talk over with that I discovered, to my wonder and intrigue, that Reeves had extensively utilized her millinery store as a polling station.
Mae Reeves, pictured in first row on proper, poses with fashions dressed in her designs.
Choice of the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition/Reward from Mae Reeves and her youngsters Donna Limerick and William Mincey, Jr.
Black velvet turban on show
All through my first assembly with Reeves, she shared her reminiscence of the primary hat she created after she opened her sixtieth Side road retailer, a fantastically embellished store, in 1941. Her unique millinery store was once at 1630 South St., and plenty of of her well-known purchasers adopted her to the brand new location in West Philadelphia.
Reeves recalled making a black velvet turban that she positioned within the window. A tender lady walked through on her manner house from paintings and was once enthralled. The lady returned to take a look at it on and, Reeves informed me, visualized the spectacular model observation she would make. She bought the turban for approximately US$20 – more or less $430 in nowadays’s greenbacks.
To open her West Philly millinery retailer, Reeves had secured a $500 industry mortgage in 1940 from the Voters and Southern Financial institution and Agree with. The Black-owned financial institution catered to Philadelphia’s African American group, as maximum white-owned banks refused to mortgage cash to Black shoppers.
Reeves was once proud to inform me how she had secured the mortgage fully on her personal – with out a co-signer – through keeping up a name of “good standing” and having sound industry plans. She was once additionally extraordinarily proud that she “paid back all of the loan.”
A industry card for Mae’s Millinery Store in West Philadelphia.
Choice of the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition/Reward from Mae Reeves and her youngsters Donna Limerick and William Mincey, Jr.
From millinery store to polling station
To get the phrase out in regards to the designated polling station, the couple dispensed handbills and hung posters all through the group. Reeves presented plates of meals to politicians who stopped through and cake to the citizens. She sought after to create a secure and inviting polling position whilst additionally emphasizing the significance that Black Philadelphians workout their proper to vote.
Reeves was once additionally an established member of the Freedom Day Affiliation, a gaggle shaped in 1941 in Philadelphia to verify more youthful African American citizens perceive the significance of the thirteenth Modification, which abolished slavery; the 14th Modification, which grants citizenship to all other people born or naturalized within the U.S; and the fifteenth Modification, which prohibits denying any citizen’s proper to vote because of race, colour or earlier situation of servitude.
The affiliation was once began through Maj. Richard Robert Wright Sr., a former U.S. Military paymaster, educator, flesh presser, civil rights suggest and founding father of the Voters and Southern Financial institution – the financial institution that had presented Would possibly that $500 mortgage. Reeves admired Wright, who were born into slavery, and regarded as him an in depth good friend and industry affiliate. She stored a replica of his portrait picture on show in her millinery store.
A turquoise turban-style hat with brooch made through Mae Reeves.
Choice of the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition/Reward from Mae Reeves and her youngsters Donna Limerick and William Mincey, Jr.
Barbecues and seaside journeys
In March 2025, I spoke with Reeves’ daughter, Donna Limerick, through telephone. She informed me Reeves were a member and president of the sixtieth Side road Industry Affiliation, which promoted just right industry practices, shared advertising methods and inspired make stronger for different companies within the affiliation.
Reeves was once additionally lively within the Nationwide Affiliation of Style and Accent Designers, a Black business team backed through the Nationwide Council of Negro Ladies. The crowd’s function was once to advertise Black girls within the model business through growing their industry talents and fostering collaboration and get right of entry to to mainstream model. The Philadelphia bankruptcy was once shaped in 1950.
Regardless of her {many professional} and civic commitments, Reeves additionally took care of the ones closest to her. Limerick shared with me how her oldsters would take group children to their summer season house in Mizpah, New Jersey. They’d ply the youngsters with scrumptious do-it-yourself foods and muffins, prepare common barbecues and seaside journeys, and train the children to fish.
Reeves kicked the bucket in 2016 on the age of 104. I’m hoping her tale encourages others – because it has inspired me – to be courageous sufficient to dream; to be diligent sufficient to actualize your goals; to take into account to make stronger your group; to be an individual of grace; and to watch out to at all times be expecting, search and provides pleasure.
