Note: Pickup/Transport required. Contacts available post auction.
This exceedingly rare, Victorian-era professional millinery hat conformator set was manufactured by Hugh Lyons & Co. of Lansing, Michigan, featuring patent dates of September 25, 1888, and March 3, 1891. As a premier manufacturer of the era specializing in both retail store fixtures and high-end wax mannequin figures, Hugh Lyons & Co. designed this complex mechanical "spoon" apparatus from nickel-plated steel springs and adjustable slides mounted to a turned oak base to accurately measure, heat, and conform high-end headwear—like the included black wool top hat—to a customer's precise head shape. The lot is extraordinarily complete, retaining its original striped cloth pad designed to sit inside the spoon apparatus during operation, the original framed paper instruction broadside ("Directions for Using Conformator"), and a striking, highly realistic hatter's display mannequin head expertly crafted from hollow-molded wax with hand-applied hair and mustache accents. Objectively assessing its condition, the mechanical components display minor surface oxidation and a vintage layer of dust, while the striped fabric pad exhibits expected age wear and minor fraying along its upper perimeter. The framed paper directions show uniform toning and a central vertical line of old tape reinforcement, and the hollow-based wax mannequin head remains structurally intact with only gentle surface scuffs and minor abrasions consistent with its age and commercial use. Wax head: H 11", W 7.5", D 8.75". Cloth ring: H 7.25", W 6.5", D 2". Spoon apparatus: H 5", W 10.75", D 11.5". Base: H 4.5", W 12", D 12". Please see photos for condition.