"Tricorne Hat": How Accurate is this Term?

A Gaggle of Hats

Dear Reader,

There is no more iconic symbol and image of the eighteenth century than the three-cornered, or Tricorne, hat. Americans imagine their founding fathers wearing such hats, it is the hat of Frederick and Catherine the Great, George II and III; it is the hat worn in the art of William Hogarth and David Morier. Today, the image of people wearing tricorne hats is utilized by historic sites, media companies, and football teams.

Detail of a portrait of Frederick II of Hesse-Cassel, (DHM)

This post is not an effort to get into the various historic styles and designs of the so-called Tricorne hat. Skilled artisans such as M. Brenckle, Geo. Franks, and Andy Kirk have brought the reproduction of the cocked hat to an art form, and are highly familiar with the intricacies of shaping and cocking these hats. Once again, Matt Keagle's work is perhaps the best place to turn for the military material culture of the eighteenth century. These historians, artisans, and makers have provided many resources for those seeking to better understand this particular type of eighteenth-century hat. Rather, this post is an effort to understand how a term which was not used in the eighteenth century, "tricorne hat" has overwhelmingly dominated our language, obscuring the original English-language term for this hat: "cocked hat."  Should we continue to use this term, if it  was not employed by contemporaries? I'll first offer some reasons why the term could be replaced with more accurate language, and then provide a brief rejoinder in defense of the tricone.

George II by artist David Morier

1) The term "tricone hat" was not used in the eighteenth century. 

The earliest English language usage of the term tricorne hat (and I am open to correction if you can date it earlier) appears to be in the mid-nineteenth century, with many examples from the 1860s and 1870s. In French and German, the term appears as early as the 1830s.[1] So, if people living in the eighteenth century did not call these hats, "tricorne hats" what did they call them?

P. J. de Loutherbourg simply used the term "hat" to describe this headgear

The eighteenth-century three-cornered hat, the "cocked hat", was ubiquitous across Europe. Perhaps not surprisingly, many contemporaries simply called this design a "hat", as it was the most common form of male headwear across much of the eighteenth century. Where more specialized terms existed, they usually described specific hat designs.

Englishmen occasionally used the term, "three-cornered" when describing their hats in contrast to the hats of other cultures, but did not use the term tricorne.[2] Perhaps surprisingly to us, they used the term "three-cornered cap" more frequently than hat. By the end of the eighteenth century, the term, "three cornered hat" became more common, as contemporaries tried to distinguish this garment from other emerging sorts of headwear.[3]

British Military-Style Cocked Hat, 1750s (M. Brenkle)

In English, the term "cocked hat" was used to refer to three pointed hats. This term referred to their method of design: there were multiple ways of "cocking" a hat to produce a variety of different styles. Again, the most common term employed was simply "hat", but "cocked hat" was used when further explanation was required.[4] A dictionary of 1758 gives this entry for "Slouched: As a slouched hat. A Hat not cocked up."[5]

2) The modern term "tricorne hat" brings together a group of hats which contemporaries often viewed as distinct.   

Reproduced Hat of the 8th Regiment of Foot (M. Brenkle)
This hat appears to be tending towards the Ramilies/l'androsmane style

There was a great variety in the types of cocked hats worn in the eighteenth century, and these hats possessed different names across the continent. By the 1780s, for example, the various languages of Europe developed terms for styles of cocked hats. The Austrian military leader Ludwig Andreas von Khevenhüller was associated with a particular style, late in the century the French spoke of a "chapeau à l'androsmane," and the British talked of the Monmouth cock and Ramilies cock.[6] The English referred to the style of hat worn by the French ambassador as, "Nivernois" style, after the name of the ambassador.[7]  A poem from 1756 indicated that "a fierce cock'd hat, and modish ramilie" was the necessary headgear of a young soldier.[8]  Late in the century, a French style-tract commented: "The Englishmen may be represented with the Androsmane style of cock, with a massive black-ribbon cockade worn on the left side."[9]

A variety of hats are on display in the Voelkertaefel, from left:
French, Italian, German, English, and Swedish 

All this points to a wide variety of styles, which evolved across the European continent during the eighteenth century. Lumping these hats together as "tricorne" hats may be a useful shorthand in some cases, but often obscures the rich complexity present across the decades and locales of eighteenth century Europe.

3) The term "tricorne" is used as shorthand for hats between 1700 and 1800, making the eighteenth-century appear static and monolithic to the general public.  

Much of the specialized language for cocked hats before 1780 was designed to differentiate various unique styles and cocks. Only at the end of the eighteenth century did the critics of tricorne hats begin to represent them as monolithic and similar. As it was a symbol of wealth and good standing, the popular mood began to turn against the three-cornered hat in the 1790s. An anonymous author wrote the following in The New-York Weekly Magazine:

Among the many things invented by man for his use, none perhaps is more ridiculous than the three-cornered hat at present used by some persons. That it affords but an inconsiderable shelter to the head, is a truth scarcely to be denied; and that the face of him who wears it remains exposed to the piercing rays of the sun, is equally true. If our ancestors deemed it a conveniency to wear the hats in question, experience teaches us at the present day, their great inutility: And shall we then willing smile on those customs which (tho' formerly practiced) proves at present highly injurious? No; Let us cosult our own feelings, and not the habits of former times.-- Common sense points out their inconsistency, and reason mocks the stupidity of him who madly submits to be ruled by custom, that tyrant of the human mind, to whose government three-fourths of this creation foolishly subscribe their assent. Again, the weight which is comprised in a hat of that size, is a sufficient argument for their abolition. Wherein then can the utility of such an unwieldy machine consist? Is not the round hat more becoming? And does it not finally prove to the head by far the  best covering? The contrary cannot be urged unless through prejudice or selfishness. That it looks respectable and sacred, may be urged in favour of it; to this I reply, that if to be impudent constitutes either of those characters, the three cornered hat has the great good fortune to be superior to the other. It may be further advanced in its favour, that by letting down its brings it will answer the purpose of an umbrella in a hot summer day: ture that for size it may, but where is the person that would not rather make use of the real than the fictitious machine? Why was the pains taken for the invention of an umbrella, if the hat could be made to answer the same views? Was it not because the hat attracting the rays of the sun, was found to be injurious to the eyes, and therefore recourse was had to a machine which proved not only shelter from the sun, but to the eyes far more beneficial. To conclude, nothing but a false pride, and a desire to be conspicuous, could ever induce a person thus inconsistently to use that which will finally prove his folly. -- TRYUNCULUS, New-York, July 7, 1796.[10] 

Just as the revolutionaries toppled the monarchies of Europe, the great push to end social deference finally destroyed the three-cornered hat.

recreated American cocked hats

Proponents of the term tricorne might offer some reasons for the terms continued usage. First of all, it is certainly an iconic term, which immediately connects to a wide audience. This is perhaps the best argument for continued usage of the term. Second, the term tricorne hat is a vivid linguistic descriptor: the meaning is instantly clear. The term "cocked hat" could bring a variety of images into one's mind, tricone, or three-cornered hat brings the meaning clearly into view. This isn't a fire-proof reason for employing the term, after all, it would be more linguistically descriptive to call 20th-century military tanks, "roller-shooters". Regardless, I am confident that the term "tricorne" will be used to refer to these hats for a long time to come.

The cocked hat is an iconic symbol of a fascinating historical era. Regardless of what you choose to call this hat, I hope this post has providing some thoughts on the precision of language when it comes to historical objects, and how terms which are completely ubiquitous today may not reflect the terminology contemporaries used to describe these objects.

If you enjoyed this post, or any of our other posts, please consider liking us on facebook, or following us on twitter. Consider checking out our exclusive content on Patreon. Finally, we are dedicated to keeping Kabinettskriege ad-free. In order to assist with this, please consider supporting us via the donate button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. As always:

Thanks for Reading, 

Alex Burns


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[1] Anon, Archives historiques et littéraires du Nord de la France (Vol III, 1833) 45. Anon, Das Ausland: Eine Wochenschrift für Kunde, (Vol 6, 1833), 965.
[2]See, Mortimer Harley, The Harleian Miscellany, (1745) 555; Robert Ainsworth, Thesairis Linguae Latinae Compendiarius, (1752), 113; John Henry Grose, A Voyage to the East Indies, (1757), 274; 
[3]See Tobias Smolett, The Critical Review, (1796), 406; Voltaire, The History of Candide, Translated from the French (1796), 42; Anon, "On the Three-Cornered Hat" The New-York Weekly Magazine, (Vol II, Wednesday, July 20th, 1796), 19.  
[4] See, Anon, The Gentleman's Magazine, (Vol XXIII, 1753), 187; Anon, The Batchelor: Or Speculations of Jeoffry Wagstaffe, Esq, (1769). 129.
[5] Anon, A Pocket Dictionary; Or Complete English Expositor, (1758), 361.
[6] See, Anon, The British Magazine, (1746) 309. Anon, The Gentleman's Magazine, (Vol XXVI, 1756) 490, Anon, Magasin des modes noevelles, (1787) 5; Anon, "The Spectator" Harrison's British Classicks, (Vol IV, Thursday, July 26th 1786) 251.
[7]William Hickey, Memoirs, (Vol I) 140.
[8]Anon, "The Spectator" Harrison's British Classicks, (Vol IV, Thursday, July 26th 1786) 251.
[9]Anon, Magasin des modes noevelles, (1787) 5;
[10]Anon, "On the Three-Cornered Hat" The New-York Weekly Magazine, (Vol II, Wednesday, July 20th, 1796), 19.  

Jung Fritz vs. Alte Fritz: Change over Time in Frederick the Great's Style

Frederick the Great, painted during the Seven Years War

Dear Reader,

Today, the image of Frederick the Great of Prussia has been indelibly burned into our collective consciousness as "Old Fritz", a wizened skinny old man on a small horse, directing the troops with flourishes of his cane. This image of Frederick stays with us for a number of reasons: it is the last one present in living memory, it is the image of Frederick immortalized in the Nazi-era films starring actor Otto Gebuhr, and it is the face of Frederick we see in his death mask. This view of Frederick has even led to fame for prominent reenactors who capture this version of the King. Importantly, this is not the only version of Frederick the Great, nor the style that the King seems to have been wearing during the Seven Years War. Before 1763, Frederick II was almost always painted in his dress uniform for the 1st Battalion of Guards. After 1763, Frederick seems to have preferred his undress uniform, and this is the image of Frederick that has come down to us. 

This post will examine the preferred clothing of Frederick the Great throughout this life: first examining the surviving uniforms of Frederick II, and then examining period artwork from two phases in Frederick's life. Obviously, for researching the martial material culture of this period, there is no substitute for the two volume study of Daniel Hohrath, and the many volume studies of Hans Bleckwenn. For this project, though, I was inspired my the recent dissertation of Adam Storring, and his suggestion that especially early in his life, Frederick was fond of flashy uniforms and baroque finery.

What Remains: Surviving Uniforms of Frederick II

There are a number of surviving uniforms worn by Frederick II. The Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin contains both the dress and undress uniforms of Frederick the Great. The undress uniform dates from 1786, the dress uniform is undated. Burg Hohenzollern in Baden-Württemberg likewise contains an undress uniform dating from the later portion of the reign.  Below, I have included three images of coats attributed to Frederick the Great, and one which is not attributed to him, for comparison.

(Undress) Uniform of Frederick the Great (DHM) 

(Undress) Uniform of Frederick II of Prussia (Burg Hohenzollern)

Velvet dress uniform of Frederick II (faded, no date)

1st Battalion of Guards Officer's dress coat, unfaded (1786, not attributed
to Frederick)

The Devil We Know: Old Fritz
Old Fritz. This is the image of Frederick that we are most comfortable with. This version of Frederick spawned innumerable paintings in the nineteenth century, where a thin, hook-nosed Frederick stares at us with a wizened and wrinkled face. This image of Frederick the Great was immortalized in the paintings of Daniel Chodowiecki, who drew the king in the 1780s, at the end of his life.

A painting after Chodowiecki's famous woodcut

 This image of Frederick is a useful one, and the iconic one: the plain, buttoned over coat, the simple ornamentation of his order of the Black Eagle, the cane and unlaced cocked hat. This is also the Frederick we see in the portraits of J.H.C. Franke, who was certainly working after the Seven Years War, possibly as early as 1763.

Franke's portrait.

Young Fritz: The Frederick the Seven Years War and earlier
This older, wizened, plain Frederick is not the Frederick who fought in the War of Austrian Succession, or the Seven Years War. For that Frederick, we must turn to an earlier series of paintings. This Frederick is younger, his uniform is more ostentatious, he wears the orange sash of the Order of the Black Eagle, in addition to the star of that order. The orange color symbolizes the familial connection between Frederick's grandfather (King Frederick I of Prussia) and the leader of Protestant Europe: William of Orange. Frederick's hat in these images is not unlaced, it is decked with fine silvered lace which complements the white hat feathers that continue into his later reign.

Antoine Pense, (pre-1740) The Royal Brood: Frederick the Great and his brothers

Antoine Pense, Frederick the Great as King (1740-1745)

Antoine Pense, Frederick the Great as Commanding General, (1745)

Antoine Pense, Painting of Frederick II, Neues Palais 

Antione Pense, Frederick about 1750 

Fischer, portrait of Frederick the Great drawn during the Seven Years War (1758)

Frederick II of Prussia, by David Morier circa 1763

Somewhat frustratingly for wargamers, this Frederick, the orange sashed, hat laced, silver brandenbourged, Frederick, is the man who entered the Seven Years War. We can discern this from the fact that 1) all of the portraits from the early portion of Frederick's reign display him like this, and 2) that the only portrait of Frederick which comes specifically from the years of the Seven Years War (the second to last image above), shows Frederick in this uniform.

What does this mean for Wargamers and Reenactors? 

As you set out to portray Frederick in the setting of living history or wargaming , and you wish your portrayal to be accurate, it is vital to tailor your depiction of the king to the year/era you seek to portray. If you wish to portray Frederick in the later portions of his reign, many wargaming figures will work, as most manufacturers portray Frederick in this portion of his reign in undress uniform, no sash, and with an unlaced hat. This is perfect for Frederick during the 1770s and 1780s maneuvers, the War of Bavarian Succession, and perhaps even the last year of the Seven Years War.

"Old Fritz" in 15mm from Old Glory 15s

If you wish you portray Frederick during most of the Seven Years War, as well as the War of Austrian Succession, painting the King in a dress uniform, with the sash of the order of the Black Eagle, and silvered lace on his cocked hat is perhaps more appropriate for this period.

A 15mm Prussian officer miniature from Essex, promoted to Young Frederick

Reenactors who portray such as the excellent Rolf Zahren, seem to focus on the last years of his reign. Zahren perfectly captured the essence of "Old Frederick" and he will be missed.

Rolf Zahren, dearly departed reenactor

Likewise, the Berlin tour guide Dr. Olaf Kappelt, who I had the great good fortune to meet by chance in 2004, portrays an older Frederick: perhaps from the late 1760s or 1770s. When a fourteen-year-old me addressed Dr. Kappelt as "Great Frederick", he gently reminded me, "Berliners say Old Frederick." For good or ill, the image of "der Alte Fritz" has triumphed in historical imagery and memory.

Dr. Olaf Kappelt as Frederick

I am unaware of anyone who has an impression of younger Frederick from the War of Austrian Succession or the Seven Years War. Perhaps some of my dedicated readers can point one out?

If you enjoyed this post, or any of our other posts, please consider liking us on facebook, or following us on twitter. Consider checking out our exclusive content on Patreon. Finally, we are dedicated to keeping Kabinettskriege ad-free. In order to assist with this, please consider supporting us via the donate button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. As always:

Thanks for Reading, 

Alex Burns