The Mad Hatter is a fictional character initially encountered at a tea party in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The chapter in which he first appears, "A Mad Tea-Party", is often erroneously called "The Mad Hatter's Tea Party" but in fact it takes place in the garden of the March Hare. Later in the book, when the Hatter is summoned to give his evidence at the Knave of Heart's trial to uncover who stole the Queen's tarts, the King prompts him by saying "Don't be nervous or I'll have you executed on the spot." The Hatter makes another appearance in the sequel Through the Looking-Glass as Hatta, one of the White King's messengers.

The phrase "mad as a hatter" existed long before the character (see hatter). The "10/6" on the Hatter's hat means ten shillings and six pence, the price of the hat in pre-decimalisation British money.

He has been portrayed on film by Edward Everett Horton, Sir Robert Helpmann, Martin Short, Anthony Newley, and Ed Wynn, and in a music video by Tom Petty.

The real Hatter

The Hatter is generally believed to be based on Theophilus Carter, at one time a servitor at Christ Church, one of the University of Oxford's colleges. He invented an alarm clock bed, exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851, that tipped out the sleeper at waking-up time. He later owned a furniture shop, and became known as the Mad Hatter from his habit of standing in the door of his shop wearing a top hat. Sir John Tenniel is reported to have come to Oxford especially to sketch him for his illustrations.

There is also the possibility that the root of the term "mad hatter" is drawn from a time when mercury was used in the process of curing felt used in some hats. It was impossible for hatters to avoid inhaling the mercury fumes given off during the hat making process. Over time, the residual mercury caused neurological damage, as well as confused speech and distorted vision. As the mercury poisoning progressed to dangerously high levels, sufferers could also experience psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations. Given that anyone exhibiting an altered mental state was dubbed mad at the time, the cause of such malady, and subsequent death of such people doubtless went unexplained for a long time.

Popular culture

The Mad Hatter character appears in a number of other places:

• The song "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" written by Bernie Taupin, sung by Elton John on the album Honky Château, and covered by Mandy Moore on her Coverage album.
• In the computer game American McGee's Alice, a gothic sequel of the story, the Mad Hatter is warped into a mad scientist obsessed with time. He has turned the March Hare and the Dormouse into steampunk cyborgs, and has plans to turn all the Wonderland inhabitants into his automaton robots. He has also turned himself into a robot, a fact made obvious when Alice defeats him.
• The Mad Hatter is a DC Comics supervillain modelled on the Wonderland character, and a foe of Batman.
• Belial is a character known as "the Mad Hatter" in the Japanese comic Angel Sanctuary.
• In the Wonderland in Shadow series by Aubigne Spratling, (previously Hunting Alice) a modern metaphoric hatter also dons the dual persona of serial murderer and Oxford professor.
• In one episode of the animated television series Futurama, "Insane in the Mainframe", a robot in a mental house dresses and acts like the Mad Hatter.
• Hatter M is a dark comic book that features what it claims is the real version of the Hatter — a bodyguard and soldier who wields a bladed hat.
• Charisma Records, the progressive record label owned by Tony Stratton-Smith, used the image of the Mad Hatter prominently in its logo in the 1970s.
• In the online cartoon Neurotically Yours, the main character, Foamy, has a friend named "The Hatta", a brown squirrel with a love for tea.
• In the anime, Ouran High School Host Club, the character Tamaki Suoh plays the part of the Mad Hatter in the episode "Haruhi in Wonderland".
• The Disney version of the Hatter from Alice in Wonderland is featured as a guest in House of Mouse and .
• The Mad Hatter also appears at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as a meetable character.

Trivia

• Albert Anastasia (1902–1957), a New York City mafioso known for his role in leading Murder, Inc., was known as "the Mad Hatter", most probably because of his discerning taste for fine haberdashery.
• In the manga based on the popular video game Devil May Cry 3, the Mad Hatter is something of a villain along with a pseudo-Alice and White Rabbit.
• Former Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Leon Wilkeson went by the nickname Mad Hatter due to his outfits.
• The United States Air Force 492nd Fighter Squadron is known as the Madhatters; it operates the F-15E Strike Eagle, and is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath.492nd Fighter Squadron
• The Mad Hatter is a nickname of a serial bank robber. He was featured on the America's Most Wanted episode of June 9, 2007.

References

• An examination of the health effects of mercury in the hat industry in Connecticut
• Heavens to Betsy! and Other Curious Sayings, Charles Earle Funk. HarperCollins Publishers, 2002. ISBN 0-06-051331-4