A beaver fur stovepipe top hat with 6 1/2″ high, cylindrical crown that exhibits a slight flare near the top, and a 2″ wide brim. The fur is mostly present, however there is a ring of wear around the edge of the crown where the underlying cloth has been exposed. The base of the crown has a narrow black riband with japanned metal grommet, but the faint impression of a no longer present hat band can still be seen in the fur. The brim is fairly flat, and the cloth edge trim has only traces of wear visible. The interior has a 2 1/2″ wide, brown leather comfort band with plain paper inner lining, and patterned crown top with embossed maker's name: "W.H. SEYMOUR & Co. / HUDSON / N.Y." This is a splendid example of a mid-19th century top hat, similar to those made famous by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.
