Bellatti’s Headdress

We often look at objects and immediately wonder, “What’s the story behind that?” Unfortunately, there is not always an answer. Within the collections of the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar, a beautiful feather headdress exists. Interestingly, former Stillwater media man, Lawrence Fitzhugh “Chub” Bellatti, donated it. Inside the headress, a “II” is marked, but that is the only information readily available on the object.

The headdress’s place in the museum brings up many questions. Why did Bellatti own the headdress? Was it a gift or purchase for him? Did he wear it or was it a personal collection piece? Who made it and where is it from? Aside from curiosity about the object itself, what role can it play in a museum? If an object loses its past, does it lose its value? Can it be part of a narrative in a larger story? All of these are valid questions.

It also shows how museums grow and change. The acceptance of such an unknown object attests to how museum collection practices have changed since it arrived at the Sheerar in 1976 as well as how collecting practices vary for each museum. Today, the museum might ask for more information about the headdress before taking it. For now, visitors and curators alike can ponder the past of the headdress. Perhaps someday an image or document will reveal a part of this piece’s past.

UPDATE! Family members tell that “Chub” assisted a fellow editor in Pawnee (on the Pawnee Chief), and the man was so grateful, he gave the headdress to Mr. Bellatti. This story may have been known at the time the donation was made but was unfortunately not recorded.

How objects get into a collection: https://www.ddr-museum.de/en/blog/archive/collecting-system-how-do-objects-get-museums-collection

Why museums collect certain items: https://indianahistory.org/blog/why-museums-collect-historical-items/

The value of an object: https://fromshanklin.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/the-real-value-of-museum-collections/ and a response to the previous article https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/opinion/2014/11/01112014-the-conversation/#

Bellatti family legacy: https://stillwaterliving.com/chub-bellatti-a-legacy-in-news-radio-and-service/