News story about the Taper hat

[D. Holloway]

Years ago I had a near-brush with this hat, so I read the article with great interest. That its provenance is less than certain is no surprise and makes for a better news story than museum concern (many artifacts suffer nicks in their chains of custody). That there is no evidence Waller traveled to Washington City during the war does not mean that he did not travel there. Still, it might be more plausible that he gained the hat during the debates or other pre-presidential events. Even this does not mean Lincoln handed it to him. I'm not implying Waller stole it; there are many ways to obtain a hat. Dr. Holzer (a man whose scholarship I hold in high esteem) wonders what Lincoln would do for a hat having given away this one. This presumes he gave it away (perhaps it fell from his head in the rush to make a train, Waller retrieves it, and the hurried Lincoln leaves it behind) and that it was his only hat. I remember Dr. Holzer once speaking at length about what we don't know about Lincoln, even in the face of so much that has been written about the man. The hat story did not make Holzer's speech, but it underscores his point while highlighting the interesting challenges Mr. Cornelius and his staff face. Good stuff.