I recently had to put up a new nail.


So I could add a new hat to my hat and wig collection.


This is the entire collection in it's normal habitat, viewed from the side.


Perhaps you can see it better from an anti-arial viewpoint.


I packed up my entire collection of hats and wigs. I was surprised that i could fit them all in one manageable backpack and a box which could be strapped to the back of my bike.

Here are all my hats packed up and in front of the Cook County Jail. I tried to take a second, better, photograph, but the cops sent me on my way. They were amusingly determined to explain the rules in a way in which i would understand and be ok with.

"Really," I said, "If i't not cool for me to take any more photos of the jail, I will continue on my way," I said.

"But we just want you to understand," they said, "This is a high security facility . . . ."

"That's cool," I said, "I don't need to challenge your rules right now."


At one point i seriously considered displaying the hats on fenceposts, but i saw the following display in la villita (little village in Chicago). 'Hmmmm," I thought, "this is clearly an accepted and non-inappropriate context for displaying a hat collection." Fenceposts would not do for my purposes.


Again I moved on.

Here is my entire hat and wig collection on a table in los comales of la villita.


Here is my entire packed hat and wig collection in front of a large fake cow which was parked in la villita.


There were also some other pretty amazing displayed collections along the streets of la villita which, again, stretched my notions of "appropriate display context". (I am particulary sad i did not get a picture of a van with plush animal laden flower arrangements strapped ALL over it.) In any case, I would have to think hard to muster a truly inappropriate context.

I arrived at the the Cicero stadium for the Roller Derby bout. By half time I had gathered enough willing participants to put a plan into action. My entire hat collection did not belong at the Roller Derby bout particularly. More importantly, hats do not belong on feet, so here is my entire hat and wig collection displayed on the feet (and a few hands) of Roller Derby fans in the stands (some i knew before, some i just met). The one tricky part was the new hat. It is a shoe hat, meaning it would look appropriate on either head or foot. So i had Meridithian coddle it like a baby. I did not catch her at a particularly maternal moment, but it will have to do.


Here I am holding my entire hat and wig collection in a big bundle. Except i am wearing the shoe hat:


(does anyone know why certain pictures will only upload sideways no matter how you save them and send them?)


A few outtakes are in the picture set.