Top hat ribs and springs. His patent was described as: Some sources have taken this to describe an early folding top hat, although it is not explicitly stated whether Dollman's design was specifically for male or female headgear. Dollman's patent expired in 1825. In France, around 1840, Antoine Gibus's design for a spring-loaded collapsible top-hat proved so popular that hats made to it became known as "gibus". They were also often called "opera hats" due to the common practice of storing them in their flattened state under one's seat at the opera, though the term can also refer to any tall formal
Claque composer, Richard Wagner, from the Parisian operatic repertory after the claque of the Jockey Club derisively interrupted its initial performances. Later Toscanini and Mahler discouraged claques, as a part of the development of concert etiquette. Although the practice mostly died out in Europe during the mid-20th century, instances of actors paid to applaud at performances still appear today, most famously with the Bolshoi Ballet. Claque A claque is an organized body of professional applauders in French theatres and opera houses. Members of a claque are called claqueurs. Hiring people to applaud dramatic performances was common in classical times. For example,