It is believed that the method of making felt was discovered in Central Asia around 6,000 BC. The discovery was made by nomadic tribes who used it for clothing, hats and tents. The oldest known felt hat was discovered in a tomb in Siberia and this dates back to c.600 BC.
St Clement of Rome.Traditionally, St. Clement of Rome (? – c.100 AD), the patron saint of felt-hat makers, created felt when he placed wool in his sandals to prevent blisters during a long journey. The moisture and pressure from walking compacted the wool into felt and later he perfected this accidental discovery into felt making.
The Ancient Egyptians also knew how to make felt hats. Bolton Museum has a restored Egyptian felt hat that is believed to have been made for a member of the Roman military sometime after the death of Queen Cleopatra in 30 BC and the subsequent annexation of Egypt as a Roman Province. This surviving hat resembles hats from the Roman Empire that date to the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus (193 AD – 211 AD) and it seems to have been specially made for the intense sunshine and sandstorms that occur in Egypt. The hat in Bolton Museum is one of only three known to exist; the other two are in the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, and a museum in Florence, Italy, respectively.
The following hatting objects represent materials, hand tools and personal items used by hatters, milliners and hat wearers.
The hatter’s bow was suspended from a rod just below the ceiling of the bow garret and it was used to form even layers of wool/fur. The next stage was the creation of conical-shaped hoods known as bats. The bats were about twice the size of finished hats. The ensuing stage was ‘planking’, which was the actual felting process to form hat hoods.
Hat hoods were made of felt, a non-woven cloth, and they were created in a procedure called ‘planking’. This process required a steady supply of hot water contained in a large open vessel, called a planking kettle, placed in the centre of a hexagonal arrangement of wooden planks. The procedure was to alternately dip the hood into the kettle and then roll it on a plank with a planking pin (aka a hatter's pin). A planking pin was a wooden rolling pin with pointed ends. This gradually shrank and thickened the material in the hood to make it suitable for making into a hat. After planking, the next step was to form the hoods to the required shape on wooden hat blocks.
Hat blocks of the required shape were used to form hat hoods into hats. Typically, they were made of lime wood which has a smooth texture and is known for its good carving qualities and ability to retain fine detail.
Trilby, bowler and homburg hats are symbolic styles of gentlemen's headwear that vary significantly in construction and shape.
The trilby hat has a brim that is turned downwards at the front and upwards at the back. The crown has a central indent with a front pinch and is complete with a Petersham ribbon and bow.
The bowler hat was developed in 1849 by William and Thomas Bowler for Lock & Co (founded in 1676) of St James’s St, London. It was originally designed as a protective, close-fitting helmet for gamekeepers to wear on horseback. It has a rounded, dome-like crown and is complete with a Petersham ribbon and bow. The brim is curved upwards all the way around
The homburg hat originated in Bad Homburg, Germany, and it was popularised by King Edward VII in the late 19th century as an alternative to the formal top hat. It features a crown with a single deep indentation running down the centre (called a gutter crown) and is complete with a Petersham ribbon and bow. Its brim is curved upwards all the way around.
During the 19th century French hatters pioneered a new method of making top hats that became the universal standard. The traditional felt was replaced by calico cotton fabric that was coated with shellac, a natural resin. After coating, the fabric was formed on a hat block of the required shape and then dried. This created a rigid, lightweight, and waterproof core. The core was then coated with a heat-activated adhesive and then wrapped with a material called ‘silk plush’, which is a woven silk fabric with a long, directional nap. To finish, hot irons were used to adhere the silk plush to the core while brushing it to attain an unbroken, glass-like reflective sheen.
Silk plush was a woven textile featuring a cut pile or nap that is longer and softer than standard velvet. It was traditionally woven on specialised looms that resulted in a fur-like texture with a highly reflective, glossy sheen. The long silk threads lie flat in one direction when brushed, creating a remarkably smooth surface. Historically, silk plush was used in dressmaking, millinery, and upholstery. However, its most famous application was in the top hat. When making a top hat, the silk plush was stretched over a calico core hardened with shellac to create the symbolic, mirror-like gloss of the formal top hat. In 1968, the last commercial textile mill capable of manufacturing authentic silk plush, located in Lyon, France, ceased production. The modern top hat now relies on alternative materials such as polished wool felt.
While it is known that simple woollen caps were worn in Northern England as early as the 14th century, the flat cap occurred as a result of a specific piece of legislation. In 1571, an Act of Parliament under Queen Elizabeth I decreed that all males over the age of six, excluding nobility and knights, had to wear a woollen cap on Sundays and holidays. This legislation was introduced to stimulate the English wool industry, which was vital to the nation's economy. Anyone caught bareheaded was fined three farthings per day. Although the law was repealed in 1597, the style stuck. The flat cap had become the traditional, recognised mark of the working-class man, an essential of upper-class country leisure, and an everlasting fashion accessory.
By the 19th and early 20th centuries, the flat cap was the informal uniform for working-class men across Britain and Ireland. As the Industrial Revolution drew rural workers into the rapidly expanding cities, the cap went with them. It was practical, durable, warm, and tucked easily into a pocket when not in use. Millions of factory workers, miners, dockers, and tradesmen wore them daily.
In Victorian Britain, flat caps were primarily manufactured in the industrial centres around Manchester and the valleys of Yorkshire and the Scottish Borders. Failsworth, near Manchester, became renowned for the manufacture of flat caps. It was the home of the Maypole Hat Works, founded in 1875. This company expanded as The New Failsworth Hat Manufacturing Co/ Failsworth Hats Ltd into one of the largest hat works in Europe, manufacturing flat caps, and other hats, for domestic and overseas markets. Another centre was at Atherstone in Warwickshire where Wilson & Stafford, hat manufacturers of Britannia Works, had a dedicated production line for flat caps.
Straw hats have been worn since ancient times for sun protection, long before they changed into leisure wear and fashion symbols. Originally, they were made from dried grasses, reeds, or palms. The earliest recorded straw headwear dates back to ancient Egypt, where hats of woven grass were worn to provide protection from the desert sun. The ancient Greeks developed the petasos, a low-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, with a chin strap, made of woven straw.
By the 13th and through the 16th centuries, the straw hat was firmly established across Europe and Asia as standard wear for shepherds and farm labourers, etc. Many Renaissance and medieval paintings depict harvesters and shepherds wearing dome-shaped or conical woven straw hats.
During the 17th century, straw-hat making evolved from a home craft into a thriving European industry. Towns like Luton in England and areas in Tuscany, Italy, became prominent centres for their manufacture. Straw hat making in Luton was a documented trade by the mid-1600s. By the late 1600s, both straw plaiting and final hat assembly had established themselves as an essential part of the local economy.
By the late 1800s, specific styles of straw hats were evolving, moving them from purely protective wear to items of leisure wear. Two of these are the ‘boater hat’ and the ‘Panama hat’. The boater hat is characterised by its flat crown and rigid, flat brim. The Panama hat is similar in design to a trilby of fedora hat. Despite its name, the Panama hat originated in Ecuador, where it was woven using fibres from the toquilla palm. In the 1800s, Ecuadorian weavers despatched their hats to Panama for sale, which had become a busy trade centre.
The company known as William Plant & Sons was a prominent manufacturer of wooden hat blocks used to shape hats. Operating for nearly 150 years, the firm holds a legacy as the last traditional hat block maker in Northern England. William Plant founded the business in Stockport 1828 when the district was already an established manufacturing centre for hats. Later, the company relocated to Rochdale Rd, Manchester, and then to Sharp St, which is off the north west side of Rochdale Rd and parallel to it.
In 1892 Walter Plant (the grandson of the founder) established his own independent hat block manufacturing workshop. He briefly opened on Hilton St, off Newton St, Manchester, before moving to 67A Great Ancoats St in the industrial suburb of Ancoats. Trade directories record that by 1923 William Plant & Sons was the sole occupier of the building at 67A Great Ancoats St.
In 1976 the company ceased trading when the business was then under the control of Walter Plant (the great-grandson of the founder). This was due his death, aged 91 years. He was still actively running the business at the time of his death.
The boomerang-shaped puller downer is held with two hands and it is used to pull the felt hood down tightly over a hat block.
To use the pusher downer a cord is temporarily tied around the crown of a felt hat and the pusher downer is then used to push this down to the point where the crown of the hat meets the brim. In so doing the corner between the crown and the brim is formed.
The foot tolliker is used to create a sharp corner between the crown and brim of a felt hat.
On the left is a hat steamer used in the blocking and forming of hats. Their purpose is to dampen and soften felt without affecting the stiffener in it or saturating it. During steaming a felt hood becomes pliable and easy to form into the required shape on a hat block.
On the right is a hat sewing machine and these are typically used to sew the hat bands and liners of hats.
On the left is a hat crown sad-iron and on the right is a hat brim sad-iron. The hat crown sad-iron has a curved ironing surface and it is used to smooth areas where the brim meets the body and other curved surfaces.
It is understood that sad-irons were so called because they were very heavy to use. Initially they were of all cast-iron construction (shown left) and the handles became very hot when the they were heated up for use.
The hat brim curling iron on the left is also known as a hat brim curling groove tolliker. The hat egg iron on the right is used to shape and smooth felt into hollow areas of a hat block such as one used to form trilby hats.
The boxwood hat-brim cutter is used to cut the brim to the required width measured from the crown of the hat. To use it, a hat is placed over a hat block resting on a cutting mat. While holding the hat down the curved part of the tool is held against the crown and then pressed down so that the cutting blade below the tool cuts through the brim. The tool is then rotated around the crown and the blade cuts the brim to the required width. Usually, a brim can be cut from one inch up to five inches wide.
The hat stretcher on the left consists of two 'C' shaped wooden slides connected by a turnbuckle that opens the slides. The stretcher on the right, also known as a hat jack, is also opened with a turnbuckle and it can be used either to retain the hat size or increase the size.
This hat block and stretcher is made in two halves, one fixed to the base and the other sliding on two wooden pins, with a metal adjusting screw to either wind apart or wind together the two halves.
This boxwood and brass hat-size rule extends from 5 up to 9 inches and the reverse has a table of hat sizes from 5⅞ up to 7¾ with corresponding crown length and width measurements.
The edge of the rule is marked, ‘Turner Atherton & Co Ltd. Denton.’ The principal business of this company was as a manufacturer of hatters’ machinery based at the White House Machine Works, Turner Street, Denton.
Hat-size callipers were used to measure the circumference/size of the inside of a hat. The left-hand side of the tool is fixed to the spring-steel ring. The callipers are first closed and then released inside the hat so that the ring opens to form a close fit. The hat size can then be read off on the scale which can be calibrated in hat circumference and/or hat size.
The hat conformateur was a mechanical device used to record the exact shape and size of a client’s head for bespoke headwear. It was invented in Paris and patented in the 1840s by M. Allié Maillard, a prominent French manufacturer of precision hat-making tools It was used to transfer the exact shape of the head onto a punched card that was then used to decide the perfect shape for the hat.
In use, the hatter first opens the lid of the conformateur and inserts a card. The lid is then closed to keep it in position. When the instrument is placed on a client's head many movable external ‘fingers’ move to clasp the shape of the head. As the fingers move, they push a series of corresponding internal vertical rods upwards. These rods then punch a one-sixth scale dot template in the card held in the lid. The hatter then removes the punched card from the lid and inserts it into another instrument, called a ‘formillion’, which scales the template back to full size. The hatter then uses this to make a bespoke hat for the client.
The McDonald's rotary hat iron was patented in the USA on the 7 Jun 1892 by Alexander McDonald. It was designed to smooth the nap on silk top hats and it was heated by gas. The device has a polished nickel-plated ironing head and an ebonised wooden handle. The rotary barrel allows the user to press silk-plush fabric evenly without snagging the delicate fibres. It is engraved with a list of countries where it was patented, and the cap of the handle affirms the 1892 patent date. It is about 9½ inches long and the ironing head is about 2 inches wide. It was sold in an illustrated cardboard box accompanied by an instruction leaflet.
Wooden tabletop hat stands feature rounded dome tops to preserve the hat's shape and the centre one is complete with a matching hat brush.
The late Victorian era stand on the left is for hats, coats and umbrellas with a drip tray.
The bentwood stand in the centre is from the 1920s and it has six ‘S’-shaped scrolls for hats and coats joined to the top of a column supported by four down-swept legs with two rings to support walking sticks.
The stand on the right is from the 1950s and it is known as an atomic stand. It is for hats, coats and umbrellas with three drip trays. The 1950s saw the rise of a distinctive furniture style referred to as ‘Atomic Age’ design. This style formed part of a broader mid-20th century modern movement representing technological optimism.
The leather top-hat box and metal hat box, left and centre, both date from the late Victorian era while the leather hat box on the right dates from the early 20th century. The hat box on the left is a dedicated top-hat box..
These customised hat boxes were supplied by Walker, Ashworth & Linney Ltd and J Moores & Sons Ltd, both of Denton, Lancs, and Christy & Co Ltd of Higher Hillgate, Stockport, but they was made for them by specialist companies. Four local companies of customised hat-box makers were, William Platt of Heaton St, Denton; Robert Beswick, Peter Blyth, and Julius Downs & Sons, all of Hooley Hill, Audenshaw.
The origin of the Quaker hat dates back to the early 17th century and it is a wide brimmed hat with a low crown. This style of hat became popular again during the Victorian era and it was at this time that it acquired its second name of ‘wideawake hat'. This name came from the Wide Awakes, a youth movement associated with Abraham Lincoln in the USA.
Decorative hat pins were fashionable in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras as ladies used them as a means of attaching their hats to their hair. Their popularity reached a peak during the Edwardian era when ladies wore exceptionally large hats displaying colourful replicas of flowers, fruits, birds and whatsoever else could be made-up. Hat pins were sometimes sold in identical pairs and most were long (6 to 8 inches or more) because they needed to be long enough to reach through the hair.
During the 19th century a style of top hat became fashionable that was very tall and this became known as the ‘stovepipe’ hat. These hats had a relatively narrow brim and a flat crown. The sides could be either slightly curved inwards or straight. Notable people who wore stovepipe hats were the engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and President Abraham Lincoln.
The ‘Anthony Eden’ hat was a homburg hat popularised in Britain by the mid-20th century by politician, Sir Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon. He preferred wearing a homburg hat at a time when trilby hats and bowler hats were more prevalent. Anthony Eden was the Foreign Secretary in 1935-38, 1940-45 and 1951-55 and Prime Minister 1955-57.
The homburg hat first became popular in the 1880s following visits to the spa resort of Bad Homburg, Germany, by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) where he saw this style of hat being worn. Over the years it became less fashionable until its use was revived by Anthony Eden.
Hat pin holders were made of metal, wood, porcelain and glass in a wide variety of designs.
This millinery mould set is used for making flower shapes in fabric for decorating ladies’ hats or other items of clothing. The fabric is first dampened by a steamer to soften it without affecting the stiffener in it or saturating it. The fabric is then laid over the die ready for forming. The punch is then heated and used to press the fabric into the die to form the flower. Finally, the fabric is trimmed to the required size.
As an alternative to felt, hats began to be made from velour during the 20th century and its use became increasingly popular. Velour is a soft, plush fabric similar to velvet and velveteen. It is usually made from cotton but it can also be made from synthetic materials such as polyester or a blend of cotton and synthetic materials. It is used in a wide variety of applications, including clothing and upholstery. The soft texture on the surface of velour is known as ‘pile’ and is made by cutting across looped threads in a special weaving process.
Named after Lord Viscount Petersham (1780-1851), Petersham ribbon is used for hat trimmings, also known as galloons. It has a heavier weft than its warp which creates prominent transverse ribs. Significantly, it is woven with picot (scalloped) edges so that when it is steamed it will take on the required shape without forming wrinkles or puckers.
Grosgrain ribbon is similar but it does not have picot edges so it does not have the same ability to follow curved surfaces.
Left, Walker, Ashworth & Linney Ltd of Ashton Rd, Denton, and right, Howlison & Co of the Tiviot Dale Hat Works, Heaton Norris, Stockport.
The term ‘Stelastic’ was a registered trademark for hats having a steel texture elastic fitting and they were introduced in c.1931 by hat manufacturers J Moores & Sons Ltd of Denton, Lancs. They were lightweight hats with a comfortable fit.
Both hat models were introduced by J Moores & Sons Ltd of Denton, Lancs. 'Zephyrus' refers to a range of lightweight hats. Zephyrus is the ancient Greek god of the west wind or spring. 'Tween' refers to a range of hats made in half sizes in the same way that shoes were made in half sizes.
The label of the Felt Hatters & Trimmers Unions was introduced in Jan 1895 and it was fixed to the inside of the hat band. The two unions participating in this arrangement were the Amalgamated Society of Journeymen Felt Hatters (AJFH) and the Felt Hat Trimmers & Wool Formers Association (FHT & WF). At the foot of the label, the male hand on the left (AJFH) is shaking hands with the female hand on the right (FHT & WF).
Top left to right: Walker, Ashworth & Linney Ltd, J Moores & Sons Ltd and Joseph Wilson & Sons Ltd, all of Denton, Lancs, with London showrooms.
Bottom left: Scott & Co of Old Bond St, London. This was a prominent hat-making company who held the prestigious title of ‘By Appointment Hatters to H. M. the King (George VI) and The Royal Family’ and later to 'Queen Elizabeth II’. This company was renowned for its craftmanship and service to the international market. In 1969 Scott & Co was acquired by Lock & Co, another prominent London hat-making company.
Bottom right: Lock & Co of St James’s St, London. This company was founded in 1676 and it holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest hatting business. Additionally, it is one of the oldest family-owned businesses still in operation.
Left, printing block advertising 'Attaboy' Nova hats made by the Denton Hat Co Ltd, & right, printing block advertising 'Linney' hats made Walker, Ashworth & Linney Ltd, both of Denton, Lancs.
This miniature 'Attaboy' hat was made by the Denton Hat Co Ltd of Denton, Lancs.
It is understood that one of the first hatters to make miniature hats was John Craig of Leeds who was making them by the early 20th century. Their purpose was to show the range of hats that he could make for both men and women and also the skills required to make them. Other hat manufacturers recognised the commercial benefits of making miniature hats and they too started to make them.
John Craig was born in Scotland in 1862/63 and he founded his business on Park Row, Leeds, in the late 19th century where he traded until 1936. Later trading addresses were Wellington St and Albion St, Leeds, and the business closed in c.1947.
This miniature ceramic top hat was made for Moss Bros of Covent Garden, London. Miniature ceramic top hats were introduced for promotional and display purposes.
Top left: A Carlton crested ware model of a top hat made by Wiltshaw & Robinson Ltd of Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, and marked, ‘ISLE OF WIGHT ANCIENT’.
Top right: A Queens China crested ware model of a lady’s Welsh hat made by the Queens Pottery Co associated with the Rosina China Co Ltd of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, and marked, ‘HASTINGS’.
Bottom left: A silver plated ice bucket in the form of a top hat.
Bottom right: A wooden hat inkwell with a hinged lid which, when lifted, reveals the inkwell.
Prior to the 1830s rural women in Wales wore felt hats with low crowns and broad, floppy brims. During the 1830s the crown of Welsh women’s hats began to lengthen and historians believe that this change was influenced by men’s top hats, high-crowned riding hats and 17th-century Puritan style hats, such as the tall, tapered, sugarloaf hats with rounded tops.
In the 19th-century Welsh hats were made using the same manufacturing processes as men's top hats. They contained a rigid, inner shell made of fabric stiffened with shellac, which was then covered with silk plush or felt. The fabric used was Buckram, which is a stiff, heavy, plain-weave fabric typically made from linen or cotton.
Over the years, the Welsh hat developed into two distinct regional styles.
The North Wales Style: Characterised by a shorter, straight-sided, drum-shaped crown. These were predominantly produced by local Welsh hatters.
South and West Wales Style: Characterised by a longer, slightly tapering, crown. Often these were manufactured by English firms, such as Christys of Stockport.
By the late 19th century, the Welsh hat had almost completely vanished from everyday rural wear as modern European hat fashions took over. Throughout the 20th and into the 21st century, hat manufacturing moved away from silk and buckram to lighter materials like felt, velvet, and velour. However, today, the Welsh hat remains highly visible during St David’s Day celebrations (every 1st March), where replica hats and costumes are worn to honour Welsh heritage.
An opera hat is designed to be collapsible for use in enclosed venues, such as an opera house or theatre. It consists of black fabric stretched over a sprung-steel frame. To snap the hat open it is held upside-down by the brim with one hand while smartly tapping the opposite brim on the other hand. It is closed by holding the hat right-side-up by the brim with one hand while pressing on top of the hat with the other hand. When closed, the hat can be conveniently stored under a seat or in its box in a wardrobe when not in use.
The Jacoll advertising mirror was introduced by the historic millinery company, J Collett Ltd, of Charterhouse Square, Islington, London, and ‘Jacoll’ is the brand name of this company. Founded in 1917, the company grew into a major millinery manufacturer and it exhibited prominently at major trade events, such as the British Industries Fair in 1947. The company remained in business into the 1970s.
The company became well known for their elegant, women's felt, velvet, and straw hats. During World War II they manufactured millions of hats for military personnel.
J Collett Ltd distributed a number of branded point-of-sale promotional items, now collectable, such as:
The ‘Keep it under your hat!’ campaign was a British security campaign launched in 1940 by the Ministry of Information. It was a part of the ‘Careless Talk Costs Lives’ anti-gossip initiative designed to stop everybody from accidentally sharing sensitive intelligence that spies could exploit.
‘Keep it under your hat’ is an idiom that means to keep something a secret. If someone tells you some information and asks you to keep it under your hat, they want you to keep it confidential and not share it with anyone else. A usage example of this idiom is: “I’ve just found out I'm getting posted to such-and-such a place, but it hasn't been officially announced yet, so please keep it under your hat.”
Historically, this idiom began during the 19th-century, and it means keep thoughts privately in your mind rather than speaking them aloud. It draws on the literal imagery of hiding something safely inside one's head, concealed beneath a hat.
Battersby hats were made by Battersby & Co Ltd at their factory on Hempshaw Ln, Offerton, Stockport, Cheshire. Woollands hats were made by Woolland Bros Ltd using their in-house millinery workrooms in their Knightsbridge premises, London. Christys' hats were made by Christy & Co Ltd at their factory on Higher Hillgate, Stockport, Cheshire.
During and after the Second World War the hatting industry went into severe decline and the slogan, 'If you want to get ahead, get a hat', first came into use in 1948. In that year the Hatters’ Information Centre, with offices at Denton and London was opened. Thomas Alfred Moores, chairman of J Moores & Sons Ltd of Denton, and president of the British Felt Hat Manufacturers’ Federation, reported that men are no longer 'hat conscious'. Consequently, this slogan began to be used by hat manufacturers in an effort to convince the hatless of the error of their ways. It became one of the most famous advertising slogans in British history.
