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Article: FASHION HISTORY Plumes: Ostrich Feathers, Jews, and a Lost World of Global Commerce By Sarah Abrevaya Stein YALE, pounds 18, 244 pp Ostrich feathers used to be worth their weight in diamonds. Judith Flanders discovers how they lost their flutter
- Article from:
- The Sunday Telegraph London
- Article date:
- February 22, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Sunday Telegraph London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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In 1910, the ostrich-feather merchants of South Africa discovered
a 'Barbary' plume, the holy grail of the feather-world, the secret,
searched-for, almost mythical feather that had every quality: it was
strong, elegant, full and fluffy. By comparison, the South African
plumes suddenly looked shabby and forlorn. Quickly, the South
African government launched the Trans-Saharan Ostrich Expedition, a
top-secret Swat team to search out and obtain some breeding pairs of
this amazing bird - whether to beg, borrow or steal, the government
didn't care.
It is impossible for anyone under the age of 50 to remember today
just how important hats once were. It is even more impossible to
recreate a world ...