Evening star., 1901-09-26
HISTORY OF HIGH HATS.
Curious Headgear Worn by Celebri-
ties in Old England.
Eror, tbe Iondon Hatferss GazettAL

Curious He3dgeAr Worn by Celebrt-
ties in Old England.
From the London Hatter's Gazette.
Ever since a certain John Hetherington.
on January 49, 1877, appeared in the Strand
wearing. to quote a newspaper report of
the period, upon his head what he called
a silk hat a tall structure having shiny
iuster and calculated to frfghten timid
people," the top hat which. to quote the
''Thunderer'' of the same date. was "des-
tined to work a revolution in headgear,"
has been the headgear Of the mighty, and
in the case of Joseph Hume, the political
reformer and f1nancier, and some others,
mighty headgear. Joseph Hume. says the
Globe in one OF It's chatty Turnovers, who.
when member Of parliament for Middlesex,
proposed in 1884 fixed duty on imported
corn, apparently had the largest head Of
any man famous in English history, judg-
ing from some interesting statistics re-
specting the headpieces Of celebrities which
were forwarded, together with a travelling
cap, by admirer to Mr.. Gladstone in
1897. His size in hats. indeed, was S1s. or
half a size larger than that Of DR.. Thom-
son. who succeeded Archbishop Longley at
York and Of Daniel OConnell. whose head
covering, which was on view few years
ago at a meeting of the County Kildare
Archaeological Society at Mas, measured
Sla inches in width and 10 inches in it's
longest diameter and was OF sufficient d.
menSions completely to extinguish the
chairman of the meeting as far as the chin
when he elected to try II on. Following
Daniel O'ConneH in the size OF headgear
comes DR.. Thomas Chalmers, the eminent
theologian. and one of the few Brftons who
have been elected members Of the French
Institute, and following him w. NJ Thack-
cray, who was short head. In sporting
parlance, in front Of Mr.. Gladstone. Charles
Dickens and Robert Burns. whose head
was never graced by tall silk hat, for the
poet died exactly six months before the
happening Of the stirring event that
- IL .o&& &t,<~t~ 4, -
hat.
The painstaking correspondent of the
Grand Old Man did not conclude his sta
tistical record Of headpieces with Burns.
but extended 1t SO far as to record the fact
that our King Edward VII requires num-
Der seven head covering, his nephew Of
Germany hat bearing the mystic figures
6 7-S the late Dean Stanley a 6x tile and
the Duke OF Cornwall and York topper
Of the proportions represented by the size
61-8-fnfoFmatfon 6 that the original recfp-
lent found, as he mentioned when acknowi-
edging the gift. full of interest" Large
as some Of these mighty head coverings
appear, they would. il placed side by side
with couple OF straw hats made In 1899
and last year at Luton. appear almost Ia
significant. In the one case the crown Of
the straw erection measured about twelve
inches high, and across the hrim the meas
urement was six and half feet: the hat
which required the services Of three expe-
rienced men to block and iron It, contained
no fewer than 300 yards Of jumbo plait. one
inch wide, and the hat box IN which 1t
travelled to Newcastle (Australia1 meas
ured seven feet square and was two feet
Deep The second straw was even larger.
for 1t measured over seven feet across the
brim. twenty-one feet round the brim and
three feet round the crown: moreover. 1t
contained 25o yards of dark blue and white
jumbo plait. and no fewer than four men
of vast experiences were occupied In its
manufacture. Wearing this. the largest
hat in the world, even ache. the great
singer who. overcome with emotion, once
entered the royal presence wearing a hat
on his head and carrying one in his hand
could not have become oblivfous to its
presence. 1t viii be recalled by some old
playgoers that when Queen Victoria, de-
sirous. perhaps. OF putting the great basso
Of the century and her old tutor at his
ease. laughingiy remarked, Monsieur La
blache, you have got one hat too many"
the singer wittily and promptly replied
Pardon. your majesty, there are two hats
too many for a man who has lost his
head
In the early days Of the last century the