ca1860 BEAVER / SILK PLUSH TOP HAT WORN AT ABRAHAM LINCOLN\'S INNAUGURATION
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ca1860 BEAVER / SILK PLUSH TOP HAT WORN AT ABRAHAM LINCOLN\'S INNAUGURATION:
$336.00
Very Rare and original, ca1860 Beaver Fur Felt or Silk Plush Top Hat belonging to Civil War General and 20 year member of the United States House of Representatives Thomas J. Henderson and by family tradition said to have been worn by Henderson at the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln who was a friend of Henderson\'s father.
This stunningly beautiful and exceptionally well preserved Topper measures approx. 6 3/4\" tall to the top of the crown and 12\" by 9 3/4\" at the underside of the brim. As best we can determine the Hat is size 7 1/8 or slightly larger. The outer surface of the Top Hat features a stunningly beautiful, quite shiny, knapped fur felt of plush silk - we are not sure which but the knap is not completely uniform and does not completely lay in a single direction as one would expect a silk plush hat leading us to believe that this may, in fact be an actual beaver fur felt Hat (although we cannot be sure).
The hat features a leather sweat band and a bronze colored silk lining and it carries the mark of the 19th century Washington, D. C. Haberdasher Stinemetz & Sons.
This wonderful Top Hat came to us by direct descent in the family of Thomas J. Henderson from his grandson - a resident of Princeton, IL. along with a number of manuscript Civil War Field Documents and Communications and a letter written by Thomas Henderson to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 discussing a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to Henderson‘s father in 1855 (also being offered in this week‘s sale.
Thomas J. Henderson was born in Brownsville, TN but moved North to Illinois before he was a teenager. He served as clerk of the Board of Commissioners of Stark County, IL from 1847 to 1849, and as clerk of the court of Stark County from 1849 to 1853. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1852. He opened his practice in Toulon, IL and continued to practice until he entered into politics. He served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1855 and 1856 and then as a member of the Illinois Senate from 1857 to 1860. In 1862, he enlisted in the army and mustered in as a colonel of the 112th IL Inf. He fought with his men at the Siege of Nashville and the Atlanta Campaign. He was wounded in the foot at the Battle of Resaca. He commanded his men until August 12, 1864 when he was brevetted brigadier general. He commanded the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIII Corps, from August 12, 1864 and led his brigade at the Battle of Wilmington. With the war\'s end, Henderson resumed the practice of law and moved to Princeton, Illinois, in 1867. He was appointed collector of internal revenue for the fifth district of Illinois in 1871. Henderson was elected as a Republican to the Forty-fourth and to the nine succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1895). He served as chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs (Forty-seventh Congress), and of the Committee on Rivers and Harbors (Fifty-first Congress). He also served as chairman of the Republican conference in the House. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1894.
Family tradition and lore holds that this Top Hat was worn by Thomas J. Henderson at the 1860 Inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln. We have no further documentation of this fact other than family tradition but regardless, this is a most stunningly beautiful and exceptionally well preserved, mid 19th century Topper!!
This very rare and stunningly beautiful, mid 19th century Top Hat is in excellent condition. The fur felt or silk plush surface is exceptionally well preserved with no damage or significant wear of any kind. The outer surface retains a wonderful and rather brilliant shiny luster and the hat is simply stunning!! There is some wear and discoloration to the fabric on the underside of the brim and some staining to the lining as can be seen in the scans below. The sweat band is present but partially detached with some staining. Overall the Top Hat is exceptionally well preserved and exceptionally beautiful!!
A VERY rare and stunningly beautiful, original, ca1860 Beaver Fur Felt or Silk Plush Top Hat belonging to Civil War General and 20 year member of the United States House of Representatives Thomas J. Henderson and by family tradition said to have been worn by Henderson at the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln who was a friend of Henderson\'s father and a fantastic addition to any collection!!!
Overseasshippping is extra and cost will be quoted at buyers request. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax.
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Important Notes about Shipping Charges:
The amount quoted for Shipping & Handling is calculated by and is equal to the EXACT amount charged by the Post Office plus a $1.00 \"packing fee\" - the $1.00 fee is our only compensation for the virgin packing materials we use on all of our professionally packaged boxes as well as our cost for the salaried help that does most of our packing - as I am sure you can see, we make NO profit on the Shipping charges and, in fact, our costs are usually greater than the $1.00 fee. Please contact us if there are any issues regarding the cost of shipping.
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ca1860 BEAVER / SILK PLUSH TOP HAT WORN AT ABRAHAM LINCOLN\'S INNAUGURATION:
$336.00