Toppers Unite

[Trouser Bark]

I doubt very much that your teacher's story is true. However, it's a great story to make history come alive.

I also think that the height of rudeness was the lady sitting on Lincoln's hat, or anyone's hat for that matter

Interesting comment. He was not a "teacher" but rather a university history professor. In the US such types are disinclined to invent history as it would impact their tenure and reputation immediately. I think there may be a language issue here as well as it is not rude for the lady to have made an error. Being inattentive, distracted, or having poor situational awareness is not rude behavior as defined in the US. Suggesting that she may have assumed an 8" diameter pipe might fit in her tail however, would meet the definition of rude nicely.

 

[Steve1857]

Interesting comment. He was not a "teacher" but rather a university history professor. In the US such types are disinclined to invent history as it would impact their tenure and reputation immediately. I think there may be a language issue here as well as it is not rude for the lady to have made an error. Being inattentive, distracted, or having poor situational awareness is not rude behavior as defined in the US. Suggesting that she may have assumed an 8" diameter pipe might fit in her tail however, would meet the definition of rude nicely.

I was making a joke about the lady's "rudeness" sitting on Lincoln's hat as a counter point to Lincoln's supposed rudeness of pointing it out.

I understand that the gentleman was a history professor. However, professors and university lecturers are, nevertheless, teachers who teach their students.

I believe your initial point was, he tried to bring history alive in order to make it interesting for his students. As a teacher myself, I'm all in favour of that approach.

However, again, I doubt the veracity of the story. Where is the source? Who is the source, if any? And what was the point of the anecdote he mentioned?

Enough of this though. Let's get back to hats

 

[Hurricane Jack]

This is the Silk Top Hat Lincoln wore the night of assignation. As you can see it is not collapsible and has a flatter brim.

Smithsonian dusts off Lincoln artifacts for film | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

WASHINGTON -- The curators wore lavender surgical gloves as they arranged Abraham Lincoln's stovepipe hat under the camera lights at the National Museum of American History in Washington.

www.arkansasonline.com

I saw it some yrs ago in one of the traveling Smithsonian exhibits.

 

[Steve1857]

Steve, It's very thin so I tend to think it's probably Silk Plush. I didn't look into this in detail so I don't know how they verified this was Lincoln's Silk Top Hat.

Steve, as you know, hard to verify a hat if you don't have it in hand, but I'm inclined to agree.

I have a circa late 1800s Top Hat that feels like silk plush and has a little of that worn golden brown look that the Lincoln hat has, though not near so much.

 

[Trouser Bark]

I was making a joke about the lady's "rudeness" sitting on Lincoln's hat as a counter point to Lincoln's supposed rudeness of pointing it out.

I understand that the gentleman was a history professor. However, professors and university lecturers are, nevertheless, teachers who teach their students.

I believe your initial point was, he tried to bring history alive in order to make it interesting for his students. As a teacher myself, I'm all in favour of that approach.

However, again, I doubt the veracity of the story. Where is the source? Who is the source, if any? And what was the point of the anecdote he mentioned?

Enough of this though. Let's get back to hats

Haha... I bet you get invited to all the parties!