Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats (Hardcover)

~ Michael Cunningham (Author), Craig Marberry (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Countless black women would rather attend church naked than hatless. For these women, a church hat, flamboyant as it may be, is no mere fashion accessory; it's a cherished African American custom, one observed with boundless passion by black women of various religious denominations. A woman's hat speaks long before its wearer utters a word. It's what Deirdre Guion calls "hattitude...there's a little more strut in your carriage when you wear a nice hat. There's something special about you." If a hat says a lot about a person, it says even more about a people-the customs they observe, the symbols they prize, and the fashions they fancy.

Photographer Michael Cunningham beautifully captures the self-expressions of women of all ages-from young glamorous women to serene but stylish grandmothers. Award-winning journalist Craig Marberry provides an intimate look at the women and their lives. Together they've captured a captivating custom, this wearing of church hats, a peculiar convergence of faith and fashion that keeps the Sabbath both holy and glamorous.

From the Inside Flap

Countless black women would rather attend church naked than hatless. For these women, a church hat, flamboyant as it may be, is no mere fashion accessory;  it's a cherished African American custom, one observed with boundless passion by black women of various religious denominations. A woman's hat speaks long before its wearer utters a word.  It's what Deirdre Guion calls "hattitude...there's a little more strut in your carriage when you wear a nice hat. There's something special about you." If a hat says a lot about a person, it says even more about a people-the customs they observe, the symbols they prize, and the fashions they fancy.

Photographer Michael Cunningham beautifully captures the self-expressions of women of all ages-from young glamorous women to serene but stylish grandmothers. Award-winning journalist Craig Marberry provides an intimate look at the women and their lives. Together they've captured a captivating custom, this wearing of church hats, a peculiar convergence of faith and fashion that keeps the Sabbath both holy and glamorous.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 212 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1 edition (October 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385500866
• ISBN-13: 978-0385500869
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,173 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "We know inside that we're queens, and hats are the crowns ", December 16, 2000

By	Allan M. Gathercoal "fdoamerica" (Norcross, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I live in Atlanta and for years I have driven by African-American Churches getting out on Sunday morning. When I pass these churches I often slow down and gaze at the uniquely dressed women coming out the doors -- all dressed to the nines, and most of them are wearing their crowns. For the African-American churchgoing women hats are not mere fashion statements they are integral expression of faith and cultural identity. The Apostle Paul should be thanked daily by all milliners for Paul furthered the fashion of wearing hats to church by writing "Every woman who prays or prophecies with her head unveiled dishonors her head" (I Cor. 11:5).

The hats in this book are as unique and alive as the women that wear them. Michael Cunningham, using black & white film, has beautifully captured the panache that these women and their chapeau's express. Just as every hat in this book has a woman, so every woman in this book has a story about her hats, and I think you will love their stories. This is a refreshing, original book that is not only is captivating but anthropological educational. Highly recommended.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go get this book, NOW!!, February 22, 2001

By	Lone Star Reader (Irving, TX United States) - See all my reviews

I first heard about this book on the CBS Sunday Morning program, telecast just before Christmas 2000 (write to CBS for a copy of that tape, if you missed it. It features the book's authors and some of the women they photographed. You won't regret it!) I fought Christmas crowds to go to the nearest bookstore to see it firsthand. I was blown away! I'm getting to "that age" when the mothers of the church are wondering when Miss Esteen's girl is finally going to start wearing hats to church. This book is pushing me closer to that day! Don't let the fact that the photos are in black & white, not color, deter you from buying this book. In a lot of ways, the black & white photography helps bring out the true beauty; I think color photography might have actually been a distraction from that. The only thing more beautiful than the hats in this book are the women that are wearing them! Pride, dignity and strength are on each page. If it were only about fashion, I wouldn't recommend this book so highly; it's the women who wear the hats, their spirit and their thoughts and that make this book. To the ladies photographed, I have only one thing to say: I want to be just like you when I grow up!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Symbols of Reverence, October 31, 2000

By	LaShonda Fields (Winston-Salem, NC) - See all my reviews

"Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats" is a genuine treasure and a breathtaking illustration of fine art. Photographer Michael Cunningham and journalist Craig Marberry exemplify the meaning of a queen with their artistry. The first portrait invites you to begin a journey that will lead you page by page through history with the inspirational and candid stories of each woman bearing a Sunday worship service crown. Truly this book extends to all religions by exploring one simple, but ever important symbol of showing reverence to God.