Textile: P. T. Barnum's Top Hat

Top hat made of felted rabbit fur that belonged to P. T. Barnum, produced by Ezra S. Hamilton, a hatmaker and seller in Hartford, Connecticut. Dating to about 1830, the hat would have been worn by Barnum when he was a young man in his early twenties. From 1831 to 1834 Barnum was producing a newspaper called the Herald of Freedom, in Bethel, Connecticut, and traveled to Hartford frequently to gather the latest news; possibly he purchased the hat on one of those trips. Alternatively he may have purchased it at the time of his marriage in November 1829, but there is no way to confirm this. Danbury, located adjacent to Bethel, was a center of hat-making so the purchase of a hat from Hartford is somewhat surprising given Barnum's proximity to Danbury. Regardless, the acquisition of a top hat was an important one for a young man aspiring to be recognized among gentleman. Because the purchase of a top hat was an investment, men often purchased a specially-shaped carrying case to protect their hat from getting crushed or dented while traveling in a cramped or crowded coach. This hat's leather carrying case has the number 1971.002.001 B and is also a part of the digital collection. That case is lined with colorful wallpaper. The tall hat is a neutral taupe color and has a brushed finish. At the time it was made, beaver fur had become scarce, and rabbit fur, processed and felted to form the hat, was a common and less costly substitute. A narrow silk band trims the base of the crown, however much of it has been lost to deterioration. The brim is flat, not curled, in keeping with the style of the early 1800s. The lining includes stiff paper, leather, and very sheer cream color silk with an embossed, slightly dimensional, pattern. The maker's label is stamped on the silk. The hat was produced by Ezra S. Hamilton, who owned a hat, cap, and fur store on 200 Main Street in Hartford, Connecticut. City directories show a third address along with Hamilton's home address and the business address on the label: Hamilton & Wildman's Hat Factory, located in the area of Dutch Point in Hartford. This indicates that Hamilton not only sold hats, but also made them, probably in a small workshop. The top hat was passed down through Barnum's descendants before being donated to the museum. More recently, the hat has been conserved by the Textile Conservation Workshop in South Salem, NY, to reduce the amount of soil, to support and protect fragile areas, and minimize the appearance of missing areas such as the areas of the silk band.