Black velvet top hat with veil

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A black, high crown velvet top hat with a black veil, red lining, and a slightly upturned brim. The understructure of the hat is formed from buckram that has been blocked to shape and then covered with three panels of black velvet. Two panels of velvet, seamed at the center back form the sides of the crown, and an ovular panel of velvet, covers the top of the crown. Black nylon net is adhered to the top of the hat and drapes down the hat’s entirety. A black woven ribbon bow is glued on top of the net, at the center of the crown. A hat band made from the same material runs along the slightly upturned brim of the hat. The hat is lined with three panels of red acetate that have been seamed together.

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