Bidspirit auction | An early 20th-century French silk

An early 20th-century French silk plush top hat by E. Guillaume, Sete - A formal top hat by the hatter E. Guillaume, formerly located at 24 Rue Gambetta in the town of Sete, France. The hat is constructed from black silk plush over a stiffened frame, featuring a tall cylindrical crown and a narrow, curled brim with bound edges. It is finished with a wide black grosgrain ribbon band. The interior retains fragments of the original silk lining and a leather sweatband. The maker's mark is printed in gold on the interior crown and also appears on the underside of the hat box as E. Guillaume, 24 Rue Gambetta, CETTE. The use of the spelling Cette dates the manufacture of the hat to before 1928, when the town's name was officially changed to Sete. The hat is accompanied by its original oval cardboard transit box. Crown height: approximately 15 cm Overall length: approximately 30 cm.