Object Timeline

  • We acquired this object.

2022

  • Work on this object began.

2025

Photograph, An R1S SUV "top hat" is lowered onto the "skateboard" platform containing the battery pack and driveline components

This is a Photograph. It was photographed by Christopher Payne and subject: Rivian Automotive, Inc..

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from Christopher Payne as part of Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne.

It is dated 2022. Its medium is digital pigment print. It is a part of the Exhibitions department.


The "top hat" refers to the styled upper body of the vehicle. Different top hats can share the same "skateboard" or platform, which contains the battery pack, suspension, and driveline components.

Its dimensions are

H x W: 66 × 82.6 cm (26 × 32 1/2 in.) Not framed

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-5.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/2318812392/ |title=Photograph, An R1S SUV "top hat" is lowered onto the "skateboard" platform containing the battery pack and driveline components |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=2 December 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>