Collections

James Glover's Top Hat

James Glover's Top Hat - Hat, Top
Accession #: 1083.100A
Title: James Glover's Top Hat
Object Type: Hat, Top
Participants:
Physical Description: Black silk top hat.
Description: By 1850, most top hats were made with silk instead of felted beaver fur. James Glover, the "Father of Spokane" and other leading men in the growing town of Spokane Falls wore silk top hats for business, pleasure and formal occasions. Glover purchased his silk top hat from E. Dempsie & Co., Spokane. Settlers risked success or failure as they moved into the Inland Northwest. And American Indians risked the loss of prime fisheries and other harvesting grounds. Entrepreneurs like James Glover envisioned Spokane's falls as power for lumber and flour mills to start a new town, which soon grew to include churches, schools, banks, hotels, saloons and newspapers. This vision left no room for the Spokane tribal dependence upon the falls as their prime fishery. Spokane became the major trade, medical, and cultural hub of the Inland Northwest. Dozens of smaller towns serve similar roles for nearby residents of this expansive region.
Category: Textiles
Related Objects:
1083.100 (Dunlap & Co. (New York, N.Y.), Hat, Top; Hatbox, James Glover's Top Hat and Hatbox)
Subjects/Topics/Concepts:
Headwear (Personal Artifact->Clothing), Men (Men)
Geographical Reference: Spokane (Washington->Spokane County)
Dimensions:
Object H x W x D 6 7/8 x 9 1/2 x 12 "
Materials/Techniques:
grosgrain ribbon (Material)
silk (Material)
leather (Material)
Marks/Inscription:
"EXTRA QUALITY, TRADE MARK, DUNLAP & COMPANY, COPYRIGHTED, E. DEMPSIE & CO., SPOKANE, WASH.", stamped inside hat
Related Exhibits:
Credit Line: Gift of the Estate of Edith D. Smith, 1972

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