After repairing both the holes in the scan, I refined the 3D model smoothing out the remaining damage and adding the necessary features to transform the hat model into a block model. Since I was using this block to restore a hat instead of blocking one fresh, I elected to cut both my trial and final blocks in foam. This would allow me to cut more quickly and more easily manipulate the block once completed.
Once cut, I put the block through several rounds of sealing and sanding to ensure the best possible surface over which to re-block the Tappe hat body.
I was then able to steam and shape the Tappe hat over its re-produced block. This allowed me to fix the dents and remaining structural damage that had occurred to the hat.
Before re-blocking the Tappe hat, I made careful note of dents, wear lines, and other evidence of the ways the Tappe hat may have been shaped after its first blocking. This combined with extensive research allowed me to make an educated supposition as to what additional shaping I would have to do to return the hat to its original shape.
The tall crown and dinted rather than blocked fedora pinch was a very popular style for ladies hats in the 1940’s and several other hats in the University of Chapel Hill’s collection were also made in this style.
After final blocking but before re-attaching the trim I decided to give the hat a celebratory try-on. Unfortunately I forgot to take any farther pictures of the hat in its final state before returning it to the archive.
In the end, I was able to successfully reverse-engineer a hat block from a damaged extant hat, and use that block to restore this hat to its former glory. In addition, the block can still be used to create reproductions and restylings of the original Tappe hat. Finally, I have a 3D model of the hat that can be stored as part of a digital archive. This means that not only can this hat be preserved physically, its model can be preserved digitally, studied remotely, and replicated easily.