hatter John Thomson

Little is clearly documented online about this author beyond the book itself, so the safest picture is a modest one: he appears in surviving records as John Thomson, a practical hatter and the author of A Treatise on Hat-Making and Felting.

First published in Philadelphia in 1868, the book presents a hands-on explanation of the hatting trade, covering fur, wool, hair, felting, dyeing, blocking, and finishing. In the opening pages, Thomson explains that he wanted to give a clear account of a craft that had not often been described in full by working practitioners, which gives the book much of its direct, useful tone.

That makes Thomson interesting not because he left behind a famous public life, but because he preserved working knowledge from a specialized trade. His book remains valuable as a window into 19th-century manufacturing, craftsmanship, and the everyday expertise of skilled makers.