Star Spangled Hats

While reading a trio of millinery billheads recently added to my collection, a line stood out:

Assorted Star Spangled Hats

Mr. B. Turk bought 1/2 dozen Assorted Star Spangled Hats, among numerous other items by the dozen from J.T. Davenport, ” importer, manufacturer, and jobber of straw goods, hats, caps, first, umbrellas, & etc..” on May 30th, 1861. Being a visual person, my mind filled with possibilities for what a star spangled hat might look like. Of course, I was delighted by the coincidence of Independence Day approaching.

An inquiry with Hathitrust trust led me to this passage in Vanity Fair, published June 1st, 1861, just two days following the above purchase.

To my delight, the Letter Patent (1861) contains a May 28, 1861 patent by Samual Hawley of New York with an illustration of the Star Spangled Hat. The illustrated clearly show the hat with it ring of stars circling the top of the crown and brim; 13 stars upon the crown, 34 upon the brim.

I will confess a level of selfish disappointment in the Star Spangle Hat being embossed felt rather than straw. One of the visions I had for a Star Spangled Hat was a straw embellished with silver or gold stars.