Bes-Ben: The Mad Hatter of Chicago

Bes-Ben: The Mad Hatter of Chicago
Museum Hours

Known for his elaborate, humorous, and flamboyant creations, Benjamin B. Green-Field (1898-1988), the creative genius behind the Bes-Ben label, designed hats using a variety of everyday objects and a wide array of unusual trimmings. The hats were adorned with bizarre items such as fake cigarettes, little stuffed animals, plastic fruits and vegetables, and a range of bejeweled and decorative objects. Many of the wealthy women of Chicago and the Midwest were among Green-Field's clients, and his hats were popular with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Judy Garland. More than 60 of these hats, many of them never before exhibited, are on view as part of the exhibition. 

April 20, 2018 - January 6, 2019
Indianapolis Museum of Art Galleries at Newfields
Included with Admission

Bes-Ben (American, 1898–1988), hat (bullfighters), 1950s, cotton, wool, silk, synthetic fibers, animal hide, metal, wood, plastic, 8-1/4 × 9 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of the Alliance of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 2008.14 © Bes-Ben.

Newfields will be closed from January 20-26 for Rest & Refresh and will reopen with regular hours on Tuesday, January 28. The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park is always open from dawn to dusk. Rest & Refresh is a moment to reset after a busy holiday season and prepare to welcome guests back to Newfields for a transformational spring.