Hat lining

This very unusal object is a printed hat lining, listing the departure times of London trains and calculcations of cab distances to or from the various train stations. As a novelty item, it would have been marketed to commuters regularly travelling through London's busiest stations.

Entitled 'Riddell's Hat Crown Key To London Cab Fare Distances, with departure of each company's railway trains.' Further explanation reveals: 'The Red figures in Railway columns are First Class through trains. Black figures are Mixed ordinary Trains. P. Parliamentary. Express and Mail rarely altered.' The following railways are listed: Great Western, Northern, N. Western, Eastern Counties, South Eastern, South Western and Brighton & S. Coast.

In the early days of rail travel, the city streets were filled with commuters wearing formal suits and hats. To get to work on time, they used printed travel information which they could keep in their pocket – or even on their head. This novelty hat lining from the mid-1800s shows London taxi and rail fares, plus a timetable. Its owner could cut the circle out and paste it into their bowler hat.