Top hat
Category
Costume
Date
1900 - 1950
Materials
Felt Leather Ribbon
Measurements
138 x 257 x 306 mm
Order this imageCollection
2 Willow Road, London
NT 112836
Caption
Clothing that once belonged to a friend or loved one can act as a powerful reminder of their presence. Sitting on a shelf in the study of modernist architect Ernő Goldfinger (1902–87) at 2 Willow Road, London, lodged between a row of orange clothbound and paperback books and a pile of weathered beach stones, is the grey felt top hat of Auguste Perret (1874–1954). It was given to Goldfinger in Paris by Jeanne Cordeau, Perret’s widow, shortly after his death. Perret was a French architect who pioneered the use of concrete as an aesthetic as well as a structural element of modern building design. His architectural principles, combining classicism with functionality, led Goldfinger and a group of like-minded Parisian architecture students to approach him to become their mentor. The two would later become close friends. Goldfinger recalled the influence of Perret on his own practice, including the principle that an exterior cornice should sit ‘like the hat on a man’s head’.
Summary
A gentleman's light grey felt top hat, once owned by Auguste Perret. With a slightly domed crown upon straight sides within a curled in rim. Decorated with a wide brown ribbon tied in a bow to one side and glued down. With a tan leather headband to the interior.
Provenance
Owned by Ernö Goldfinger and Ursula Ruth Blackwell, also known as Mrs Ernö Goldfinger. Purchased by the National Trust in 1994.
Marks and inscriptions
Underside of crown.: In gold coloured script "MODÈLE DEPOSÉ" rest of the script largely worn off. With a further label reading "HORS CONCOURS".
References
Antrobus and Slocombe 2025: Helen Antrobus and Emma Slocombe, 100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the collections of the National Trust, National Trust 2025, pp. 150-151.