Hat Maker by Marilyn Anderson. Woodcut, 9 1/16″ x 11 7/8″
In Guatemala, palm hats are still sewn by hand or machine. If you buy one, you can be sure an artisan has produced it. While such hats provide vital protection from the sun and rain, they also have the advantage of being made with locally grown palm fronds. ( See Palm Braider ) However, for many years, artisanal hat making has been affected by the introduction the now ubiquitous factory produced “baseball style” caps. Such headwear is now seen everywhere along with plastic-brimmed hats which also replace handmade items.