Man's Tall Hat
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Description
This artifact is classified as a tall, black, silk top hat; it has a ribbon band with a small bow. On the inside of the hat embossed on the blue silk lining we can see a logo for E.T. & S. Ryder hatters whose premises was located at 60 Fulton Street in New York City. The general construction of top hats includes two main structural pieces, the brim and the crown; these structural pieces are typically made of several layers of muslin stiffened with shellac (Henderson, 2000). The first step in construction is creating the crown of the hat, next is attaching the brim, next is the “covering” which is the addition of the silk pile to the outside of the hat, and the final step is the addition of trim (Henderson, 2000). On the URI artifact this would be the silk piping surrounding the hat as well as the ribbon trim piece; additional finishing pieces would include any branding and interior lining.
This artifact (74.09.01) was donated to URI in October of 1974, by a Mrs. Bertha Congdon Taft (1897–1982). This hat belonged to a man named Joseph B. Congdon (the donor's great grandfather). Mrs. Taft stated that the hat was only worn on “real state occasions,” probably with a frock coat. The family was local to the Washington County area of Rhode Island. This hat is extremely similar to one found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession number: 2009.300.1659). It was made in New York by and American designer in the 1850’s named Nash (“Top Hat").
One of the most recognizable images of a top hat is the one worn by Abraham Lincoln, tall and unforgettable. However, top hats came in many different materials and heights. The top hat referred more to the general shape and construction of the hat, this being that it had a flat top crown with a flat circular brim. One of the most common styles in the mid-nineteenth century was a silk top hat similar to this one in the URI collection.
References
Henderson, D. (2000). The top hat: An illustrated history of its styling and manufacture. Yellow Springs, OH: Wild Goose Press.