Chapeaugraphy

Chapeaugraphy, occasionally anglicised to chapography, is a novelty act and a busking trick in which a ring-shaped piece of felt is manipulated to look like various types of hats.

[1] The act originated in 1618 with Parisian street performer Tabarin, the most famous of the charlatans who combined a French version of commedia dell'arte with a quack medicine show.

He described his felt hat as "true raw material, indifferent to all forms".

[1] An 1899 magazine recounts "one or two smart English performers" of that time, including Alfred Leslie.

[2] Although rarely seen today, it was featured in an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1985, as performed by magician Harry Anderson.

19th century performer Alfred Leslie demonstrating chapeaugraphy as Napoleon (left) and Wellington (right)
Félicien Trewey in Louis Lumière 's 1896 short film Chapeaux à transformation