Chapeaugraphy, occasionally
anglicised to chapography, is a novelty act and a busking trick in which a ring-shaped piece of
felt is manipulated to look like various types of
hats. The act originated in 1618 with
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
ian
street performer
Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
Tabarin, the most famous of the
charlatans who combined a French version of ''
commedia dell'arte
(; ; ) was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as , , and . Charac ...
'' with a quack
medicine show
Medicine shows were touring acts (traveling by truck, horse, or wagon teams) that peddled "miracle cure" patent medicines and other products between various entertainments. They developed from European mountebank shows and were common in the Unit ...
.
In the 1870s another French comedian, , revived the act and managed 15 hat-twisting styles in his act.
Although rarely seen today, it was featured in an episode of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...
'' in 1985, as performed by magician
Harry Anderson.
Types of hat that can be created:
*
baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap, hat with a rounded crown and a stiff bill projecting in front.
The front of the hat typically displays a design or a logo (historically, usually only a sports team, namely a baseball team, or names of releva ...
*
American and
British army hats from the Revolutionary War
*
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
's hat
*
naval captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
's hat
*
Mickey Mouse ears
*
Ushanka (a
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
n fur hat)
*
mortarboard
The square academic cap, graduate cap, cap, mortarboard (because of its similarity in appearance to the mortarboard used by brickmasons to hold mortar) or Oxford cap is an item of academic dress consisting of a horizontal square board fixed up ...
(a graduation cap)
*
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
nun's headwear
*
derby hat
and several inventive others.
Notable chapeaugraphers
*
Tabarin, a French comedian, the creator of
Le Chapeau de Tabarin.
*{{ill, Monsieur Fusier, fr, Léon Fusier, another French comedian who revived the act.
*
Félicien Trewey, who brought the art form renewed interest and a new name, Treweyism, around the world in the 19th century after seeing Monsieur Fusier.
*
Paul Wildbaum, a Canadian physical comedy master.
*
Sir Richard, a New Zealand event host.
*
Fabrice, a French magician based on the Gold Coast in Australia, has an original routine which was presented at the Adelaide Magic Convention 2014.
*
Disguido, an Italian duo of Illusionists, have a routine dedicated to the history of cinema, prized with the "
Mandrake d'Or
A mandrake is the root of a plant, historically derived either from plants of the genus '' Mandragora'' found in the Mediterranean region, or from other species, such as ''Bryonia alba'', the English mandrake, which have similar properties. The ...
", in 2013 in Paris ad with the Third place at the European Championship of Magic in Blackpool (UK). They have invented new types of figures: the phone, the horse and the grinder.
External links
Arturo Brachetti*
Félicien Trewey
The art of chapeaugraphy; or, Twenty-five heads under one hat* http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cultura/quando-magia-nascosta-cappello-feltro-826726.htm
Sleight of hand