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There are many references to paper hats and paper caps in old books and periodicals but many of these are not accompanied by descriptions or illustrations and it is not therefore possible to know what particular design or style of paper hat or cap they refer to. I have only recorded such references here where they are interesting for other reasons.

There are separate pages for some of the most common or otherwise interesting styles of wearable folded paper hats. Links to these are inserted at the appropriate point in the timeline. Of these the Workman's Hat, the Newspaper Hat, and the Pyramidal Hat all appear to be derived from the folding sequence for the Paper Boat, which itself sometimes appears in use as a Paper Boat Hat in its own right. The 'Soldier's Cap' is closely related to the Waterbomb.

The Paper Cup is sometimes also repurposed as a Paper Hat

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Mitres of Infamy - c1394 onward

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1630

This picture titled 'Des fins chappeaux de papier a vendre' (Fine paper hats for sale) by Pierre Brebiette dates from 1630 and is in the collection of Paris Musees. It is one of a series of pictures showing vendors of paper goods.

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1726

A passage in the issue of 'Biblioteque Francoise ou Histoire Litteraire de La France' for January and February 1726 discusses the various uses of the word 'Mitre'. Roughly translated it says: 'In Spain we still call today those very tall paper caps which the Inquisition put on the heads of those it condemns to death Mitres, because these caps look a little like the Mitre. It is thus that the English put a Mitre on the head of the Maid of Orleans when they burned her in Rouen in 1431. And to say it here in passing, it is not because of the paper hats, in the form of a Mitre, which the baker's boys commonly call Mitrons?'

There are three clearly different types of paper hat referred to here:

1, 'tall paper caps which the Inquisition put on the heads of those it condemns to death', otherwise known as capirotes or corozas.

2, The paper hat said to have been worn by Joan of Arc - an example of a 'mitre of infamy'.

3, 'paper hats ... which the baker's boys commonly call Mitrons'

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1790

Around 1790 Juan González del Castillo (1763-1800) premiered the sainete 'Los cómicos de la legua', a work in which the character Pasqual says 'although I went to school more than three years and a half, I only learned how to make paper hats and birds of paper'.

Lacking a picture, we cannot unfortunately know which type of 'pajaras de papel' (paper bird) or which type of 'montera' (paper hat) is being referred to here, but on the basis that we do not know of any likely alternatives it seems reasonable to assume that the paper birds are probably Cocottes / Pajaritas and the paper hats either the Newspaper Hat or the Pyramidal Hat, both of which are called 'montera' in other later sources.

The Newspaper Hat is referred to as a Montera in both 'El Mundo de Papel' by Dr Nemesio Montero, which was published by G Miranda in Edicions Infancia in Valladolid in 1939, and 'El Plegado y Cartonaje en la Escuela Primaria' by Antonio M Luchia and Corina Luciani de Luchia, which was published by Editorial Kapelusz in Buenos Aires in 1940. The Pyramidal Hat is referred to as a Montera in Guia Practica del Trabajo Manual Educativo' by Ezequiel Solana, which was published by Editorial Magisterio Español in Madrid in 1904. The author says 'There are several forms of monteras: We are going to explain a well-known one.'

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1796

In a letter which Jane Austen wrote to her sister Cassandra on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of January 1796, she says 'We have trimmed up and given away all the old paper hats of Mamma's manufacture; I hope you will not regret the loss of yours.' Footnote 14 to this letter in 'Jane Austen's Letters', 4th Edition, collected and edited by Dierdre Le Faye, Oxford University Press, 2011 states that 'Dr Avril Hart at the Victoria and Albert Museum suggests that these were made from narrow folded strips of paper woven and plaited together. Alternatively, stamped paper (finely perforated with delicate patterns) was used in the Eighteenth century to make fans; this might also have been used for making hats. See Sacheverell Sitwell and Doris Langley Moore 'Gallery of Fashion 1790 - 1812.' I have not been able to find any other information that would verify or prioritise either of these suggestions.

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The Workman's Hat - c1800 onwards

(also known as The Carpenter's Hat)

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1804-1829

A print by Eishin Kikugawa (1787 - 1867) showing children playing various games includes two children, a boy and a girl, folding paper. The items threy have already folded are a Paper Crane, an unidentifiable box, a Paper Boat and what looks like a more complex version of the Kabuto or Samurai Helmet.

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The Newspaper Hat - 1832 onwards

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1840

The Collapsible Box appears as 'A Paper Cap' in 'The School Boy's Holiday Companion' by T Kentish, which was published by Relfe and Fletcher in London in 1840.

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The Paper Boat Hat - 1853 onwards

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The Kabuto / Samurai Helmet - 1854 onwards

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The Pyramidal Hat - 1859 onwards

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The Mitre - 1876 onwards

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The Soldier's Cap - 1882 onwards

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1885

'Kindergarten Shoho' (Preliminary Kindergarten) by Iijima Hanjuro, which was copyrighted on October 4th Meiji 17 (1884) and published by Fukuda Senzo in August of Meiji 18 (1885), contains illustrations of two designs for paper hats:

Flat-folded Hat

Wind-blown Hat

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The Donkey-Eared Dunce's Hat - 1889 onwards

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The Magic Hat - 1891 onwards

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Le Bonnet Carre - 1892 onwards

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The Patisserie Box Hat - 1893

'L'Annee Preparatoire de Travail Manuel' by M P Martin, which was published by Armand Collin & Cie in Paris in 1893, contains a 'Bonnet de Police, developed from the Patisserie Box.

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1894

In the January 1894 issue of the American children's magazine St Nicholas is an article about 'How Money is Made'. It explains how each printed bill is individually examined and that:

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1899

A variation of the Pyramidal Hat called 'Casquette Moyen Age' (Medieval Hat) appears in 'Le Livre des Amusettes' by Toto, which was published in Paris by Charles Mendel in 1899.

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1900

A similar hat developed from the Pyramidal Hat called 'Le Casque Moyen Age' (Medieval Helmet) appears in the French children's magazine 'Mon Journal', most probably in 1900, although I have not been able to identify the exact date of the issue the article appeared in.

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The Turban - 1900 onwards

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The Monk's Hat - 1903

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1904

A number of paper hats appear in 'Guia Practica del Trabajo Manual Educativo' by Ezequiel Solana, which was published by Editorial Magisterio Español in Madrid in 1904.

Sombreros de la Edad Media (Medieval Hat)

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Mitra de Dos Puntas (Two-pointed Mitre)

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Sombrero de Magico 1 (Magic Hat 1)

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Gorra sin Visera (Cap without Visor)

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Sombrero de Magico 2 (Magic Hat 2)

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The Nurse's Cap - 1907 onwards

(Developed from the House)

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The Curate's Hat - 1907 onwards

(Developed from the House)

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The Postman's Hat - 1907 onwards

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1909

Le bonnet d'eveque ou mitre

This hat appears in 'Petit Manuel de Travaux d'Amateurs' by H de Graffigny, which was published by Collection A L Guyot in Paris in 1909. The text says, roughly, 'By folding the corner's of the police hat and making them fit into each other we have the bishop's hat or mitre.' The result is a paper hat that is shaped like the Mitre but in which the front flaps are tucked into each other instead of into the central pockets.

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This design also appears as 'Mitra Corriente' (Normal Mitre) in 'Papiroflexia' by Elias Gutierrez Gil, which was self-published in 1951.

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1914

Diagrams for a paper hat of otherwise unknown design appear in 'Zhe zhi tu shuo' (Illustrated Paperfolding), compiled by Gui Shaolie, which was published by the Commercial Press in Shanghai in Ming guo 3 (1914). I do not understand the folding sequence or final appearance of this design.

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The same book also contains two designs for 'Gauze Hats', which were black lightweight summer hats worn by government officials during the Ming dynasty which had two broad wings on either side of a central cap.

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1917

Diagrams for five paper hats appear in 'Xu Zhe zhi tu shuo' (More Illustrated Paperfolding) by Yongxiang Shi, which was published by the Commercial Press in Shanghai in 1917.

Pointed Hat

The text says 'Can be worn with fingers'.

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Samurai Hat

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Pheasant Tail Hat

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Yarn Hat

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Monk's Hat

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1920

The Air Force Cap

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1932

The Tuck-in Mitre - 1932 onwards

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The Sou'wester - 1939 onwards

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1939

Another derivative of the Newspaper Hat, 'La cofia de enfermera', was published in 'El Mundo de Papel' by Dr Nemesio Montero, which was published by G Miranda in Edicions Infancia in Valladolid in 1939.

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The Italian Soldier's Hat - 1939

This hat is made from a version of the House developed from an oblong rather than a square. It also apears in 'El Mundo de Papel' by Dr Nemesio Montero, which was published by G Miranda in Edicions Infancia in Valladolid in 1939.

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The Printer's Hat - 1940 onwards

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'At Home Tonight' by Herbert McKay, which was published by Oxford University Press in London, New York and Toronto in 1940, contains diagrams for several non-standard paper hats.

A Sou'wester - The Pyramidal Hat version of the Sou-wester

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A Dustman's Hat

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A Hat with Wings

(from the preliminary fold)

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An Ornamental Hat

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A Hat with a Feather

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A Military Hat

(From the waterbomb base)

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A Grenadier's Hat

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Old Scholar Hat - 1948

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Winged Hat - 1948

This hat also first appears in 'The Art of Chinese Paper folding for Young and Old' by Maying Soong, which was published by Harcourt Brace and Company of New York in 1948.

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'El Bicornio de Ministro' - 1951

The Flat-Bottomed Boat is re-invented as a hat, 'El Bicornio de Ministro', in the extended version of 'El Mundo de Papel' by Dr Nemesio Montero, which was published by G Miranda in Edicions Infancia in Valladolid in 1951.

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1956

Designs for several hats appears in 'Paper Magic' by Robert Harbin, which was published by Oldbourne in London in 1956.

Plumed Hat

Attributed to Herbert Mckay (compare Military Hat above)

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Harbin's 'Carabinieri Hat'

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1961

Volume 2 Issue 2 of 'The Origamian' for Autumn 1961 contains diagrams for Four Hats (from a single base). While these are clearly attributed to Ligia Montoya, Hat 1 is also said to be 'Courtesy of Spencer Muns'.

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1963

Several otherwise unknown paper hats appear in the second edition of 'Het Grote Vouwboek' by Aart van Breda, which was published by Uitgeverij van Breda in 1963.

Cocked Hat

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Peaked Hat

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Viking Helmet

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1965

Several designs for hats developed from the Paper Cup appear in 'The World of Origami' by Isao Honda, which was published in the USA by Japan Publications Trading Company in 1965.

Hat

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Work Cap

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Bird-face Cap

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This design for a 'Carpenter's Hat', which is developed from the Sanbo-on-Legs by tucking in each leg in turn, appears in 'Your Book of Paperfolding' by Vanessa and Eric de Maré, which was published by Faber and Faber in London in 1968. It is said to be a traditional Japanese design.

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