Top hat

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

A top hat was not restricted to formal wear in the 19th century. Men and boys wore them to meeting (church services), school, and for work. Some top hats were made of braided rye straw that women in New England made at home as part of the “putting out system”. They were paid a certain amount per hat. The hat depicted here is made, in part, of hair from the under coat of a beaver.

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Details

Item typeClothing
Headwear
CreatorS. W. Parshley
Date1844
PlaceDeerfield, Massachusetts
TopicClothing, Textile, Fashion, Costume
EraNational Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860
MaterialAnimal Product; Paper
Dimension detailsHeight: 13.00 in Diameter: 7.50 in
Catalog #DPR.E.09
View this item in our curatorial database →
S. W. Parshley. Top hat. 1844. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/dpr-e-09/. Accessed on December 6, 2024.

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