A major Cannon House Office Building renovation began in 2014 and uncovered some surprises, including this bowler hat, discovered in a crawl space—shown here before and after conservation treatment. Based on the business dates of the haberdasher, Abraham Minster, the hat was likely tucked away around 1908, when the building was first constructed. Historic photos reveal that construction workers often wore felt hats, such as this one, on site rather than the now-familiar hardhats.
