Antique Victorian late 19th or early 20th century silk lined leather hat box

Antique Victorian late 19th or early 20th century silk lined leather hat box this fabulous hat box would make a great display piece see pictures for sale separately may sell together please contact us for pricing etc some age related wear ( some stains to the interior may clean ? ) the shape of the box suggests it once had a military hat of some discription? There is a partial label to the side could be a shipping label?

This item once belonged to the shrapnell family ( may have great historical interest/ value)

41 cm wide

38 cm depth

20 cm tall

The surname Shrapnel-Smith indicates the joining of the surname "Shrapnel," which comes from the name of Major Henry Shrapnel, the inventor of the Shrapnel shell, with the surname "Smith," one of the most common surnames derived from the Old English word for a metalworker or blacksmith. The use of a hyphenated surname like Shrapnel-Smith typically signifies a union of families, with one of the parents or ancestors bearing the Shrapnel name and the other the Smith name.

History of the Name Shrapnel

Origin: The "Shrapnel" surname originates from Major General Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), a British army officer who invented the Shrapnel shell in the 1790s.

Usage: The name became associated with this invention, leading to its adoption by families, and is therefore a proper name origin.

History of the Name Smith

Origin: The "Smith" surname is an occupational one from the Old English word "smitan," meaning to strike or hit.

Meaning: It originally referred to a blacksmith, but as society evolved, it was also applied to other metalworkers, carpenters, and even masons.

Prevalence: "Smith" is an incredibly common surname, one of the most frequent in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Combining the Names

A hyphenated name like Shrapnel-Smith suggests the parents or ancestors from the Shrapnel and Smith lines chose to combine their surnames when forming their family.

This practice is common in the United Kingdom and other countries, allowing for the preservation of both family names.

hat box (also commonly hatbox and sometimes hat bucket, hat tin or bandbox) is a container for storing and transporting headgear, protecting it from damage and dust. A more generic term for a box used to carry garments, including headgear, is a bandbox. Typically, a hat box is deep and round in shape, although it may also be boxlike and used as an item of luggage for transporting a variety of hats.[1]

A collection of vintage branded hat boxes of varying sizes

A boy carrying an assortment of hat boxes in New York City c. 1912

Hat boxes may be made of a range of materials, including cardboard, leather or metal.[2] They may include straps or a carrying handle for transportation. More luxurious models may be padded and lined in materials such as silk in order to protect the headgear.[3]

History

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Hat boxes may be made of a variety of materials, including metal.

The concept derives from the earlier bandbox, which was used to store and protect ruffs (also called standing bands or neckbands) in the 17th century.[4]

The hat box became a popular item in the 19th century – matching the popularity of hats for both day and evening wear – and accessories were produced to assist with both storage and cleaning.[5] While milliners often packaged designs they sold in cardboard hat boxes, more robust designs were produced for travelling. Some designs were made to store more than one hat – including designs that could store both a daytime top hat and a collapsible version for evenings, known as a gibus.[3] They might also include storage space for items such as a hat brush.[5]

Designs became quite large during the Edwardian era. A letter to The Times in 1844 warned travellers that Blackwall Railway's porters had charged 1d to carry a hat box onto the train and a further 6d for transporting it to the London terminus, with the traveller himself paying only 4d for the journey. He recommended that travellers with luggage should go by steamboat.[6]