President Roosevelts Top Hat

[mayserwegener]

I'd have to disagree. I think the others are right. It's silk.

Based on the time period the odds are it's Silk Plush. It's definitely been brushed in the wrong direction and no longer polished. Alan has a 1915 Crofut & Knapp Nutria Top Hat (sheets similar to Silk Plush and produced during war time).

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?36577-Toppers-Unite&p=1340271&viewfull=1#post1340271

 

[The Good]

Then would brushing it counter-clockwise, the right direction, and polishing fix it? I'm assuming that the new owner wouldn't ever have a more serious, formal occasion to wear it to, though. These years, those are almost entirely in Britain, it would seem. The shape it's in now, I'd happily display it, if I had that much money to spend. I do not.

 

[mayserwegener]

Brushing and polishing will not fix dents or scraps to the Silk Plush. The brim binding and sweatband are also damaged. It's really nothing special (quality, condition) outside of the Roosevelt connection.

 

[fedoracentric]

Plus they use the claim that it is beaver from third hand information (the wife of a guy to whom the hat was given). It isn't likely the woman had any real direct knowledge of the actual hat itself, though there is no reason to doubt her history otherwise. Family history is very unreliable in many ways. I've seen items that weren't manufactured until decades after a time period that family lore claimed the item was from. I've seen items from one country claimed to be from somewhere else... etc., etc. Just watch one episode of those auction/appraisal shows and you'll see at least one person disabused of their family lore.