Pluim voor bicorne officier, ca 1830 c. 1830 - 1832

This is a feathered bicorne hat for an officer, made around 1830 by an unknown maker. Hats have always been a crucial signifier of social status and profession, never more so than in the 19th century when European society was rigidly stratified. Military headwear, like this hat, had the specific purpose of not only identifying rank but of inspiring confidence in the wearer and respect in the public. The bicorne style, meaning two-cornered, was popular in the militaries and governments of Europe from the 1790s to the 1820s. As such, this hat is a relic of the Napoleonic era when European nations were fighting to define themselves, and the old aristocratic order was being challenged by new ideas of meritocracy. In a society as formalized as 19th-century Europe, something like a hat becomes a crucial piece of social evidence, a clue that we can use to understand the values and structures of the time. Historians can research old military records to understand exactly who might have worn this kind of hat, and what it would have signified to their contemporaries.