top hat
back to the top hat and the beavers …
” In much of Europe during the period 1550-1850, hats made of felted beaver fur were fashionable because the soft yet resilient material could be easily combed to make a variety of hat shapes, including the familiar top hat. The demand for beaver pelts in Europe ultimately drove the animal to near-extinction. The booming demand for this type of fur helped cause the dwindling of the supply of beavers in the new world, and fueled colonial expansion to a significant degree as more people sought the fortunes of the trade.
Used, smelly winter coats worn by Native Americans were actually a prized commodity for hatmaking, because their wear helped prepare the skins, separating out the coarser hairs from the pelts.
The demise of the beaver hat came around the time that silk hats became vogue.”
demand …vogue…colonial expansion…seeking fortune
mixing it up ..
a beaver top hat full of tennis balls or a Stroud hat ??
i have been looking at the work of Polly Morgan and found a few relevent hat images rabbit on hat and still life after death
red museum object : rabbit with red bow 