Description:
Man's tall or yeoman-crowned or bell-crowned hat made of black beaver fur with a decorative hatband fastened with a metal buckle, wide leather sweatband, remains of beige silk lining, and four tiny, molded glass buttons sewn into the inner lining. The embossed silk label is printed an American eagle with a scroll in its beak with the words "AMERICAN MANUFACTURE" and perched on a classical plinth with the inscription, "NATHAN WEBSTER / MANUFACTURER / HAVERHILL / Mass. / H. Morse Sc." Haverhill, where Nathan Webster trained, was one of the leading hat-producing centers in New England in the early 19th century. Webster established his business in 1815, which was very successful; he formed a partnership with his brother David in 1835. This style of tall hat, with flaring crown, was fashionable by 1810, with the height of its popularity in the 1820s to the early 1830s.
Label Text:
By the turn of the 19th century, the fashionable man’s hat became taller and more slender. These tall, or top, hats were made from dyed beaver fur, silk, or even palm leaf. Crown height and silhouette shifted throughout much of the century, as did the width of the brim. All, however, have in common an inherent, if impractical, luxury.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2003.47 |
