Fine Id’d Civil War U.S. Navy Seaman’s Flat Hat – Pictured in Time-Life “Echoes of Glory”

SOLD

Fine Id’d Civil War U.S. Navy Seaman’s Flat Hat – Pictured in Time-Life “Echoes of Glory” – This is only the second of these rare, Civil War, enlisted, navy seaman’s, flat hats that we have had; this example remains in superior condition and is identified to the war period owner, Petty Officer John Cook. This exact hat is pictured in the highly informative, Time-Life Book – “Echoes of Glory; Arms & Equipment of the Union” on page 164; the hat, at the time of this book’s publication, was part of the famed collection of the Stamatelos Brothers, Jimmy and Tony, of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This hat retains its unique, homespun, blue and white checked, detachable liner; this liner, probably created and inserted by Petty Officer Cook, is backed with a brown polished cotton and reinforced, around the interior its rim, with a substantial ring of woven fibers, possibly hemp. At the back exterior of the cap is the regulation, black silk, ribbon bow, with all of its original, five, mother-of-pearl buttons; this ribbon remains in excellent condition. The cap appears to be completely hand sewn. These Civil War, enlisted navy caps have always been rare and hard to find in good condition; this example’s deep blue wool and homespun liner both remain in fine condition, hence its use as an example of a Union navy seaman’s cap in “Echoes of Glory”.