Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
Athlone Hat
On this day, 250 years ago, John Mains spent seven shillings for an Athlone Hat at the Colden Store.
 |
| Felt Hat c. 1760. Not necessarily an Athlone. Image Courtesy of Connecticut Historical Society |
Search the DayBook
This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Be sure you read the first installment for an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.
In the prior eight months, Colden sold over 100 hats at his store. Only three were described as 'Athlone.' Three hats were described as 'Castor' meaning beaver hats. Nineteen were 'Hills Hats.' In fact, Colden had purchased sixty-six of these hats from William Hill in the prior eight months. Perhaps the generic hat purchases were Hill Hats even though not labeled as such? Or maybe Colden was also acting as a broker for Hill?
The term 'Athlone' comes from the Irish town of the same name which had a long history as a hotbed of hatters. Perhaps 'Athlone' by this date was used to describe a style of hat as opposed to the location of manufacture?
Irish Historical Textiles has an excellent article on Athlone Hats!
===================
Search the DayBook
No comments:
Post a Comment