Riding hat
James Lock & Co. Ltd
ca. 1930 · fur, wool, silk · Costume Institute
A renowned maker of headwear for members of British royalty, artistocracy and society, Lock & Company has been in business in London since 1747, supplying finely-crafted hats, like this example. The beauty of real beaver fur is evident in the elegant glossy surface of the hat. This style is worn as part of formal attire for dressage riding, not typically seen until the upper levels of dressage and eventing or the most important classes at large hunter shows where the top hat completes the formal look. The donor of this example, Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., was an accomplished rider who also shared an interest in horsebreeding with her husband.
- Artist
- James Lock & Co. Ltd
- Date
- ca. 1930
- Medium
- fur, wool, silk
- Culture
- British
- Department
- Costume Institute
- Credit line
- Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., 1985
