I am still searching the Toronto Antique Market for hatty finds, especially vintage pictures. I thought that you would be interested in these I found a couple of weeks back. Enjoy!!

Pretty Girls

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Parlor Music

In the days before radio it was common to have a piano in the Drawing Room. In  Victorian, Edwardian times and beyond into the 1920s entertainment in the Parlor was very popular. This can be seen in the photograph probably taken around the time of World War 1 or just before. It is interesting that one of the ladies is wearing a hat she is probably a visitor and it likely is not her home. The whole family would stand around the piano and sing. Parlor music sheets were as popular as CDs today. The art work on the covers was wonderful and there are many collectors today -- many are classic and suitable for framing.

This is a short video I put together with a selection of song sheet covers featuring hat wearing. The pictures are in the public domain and came from a variety of public domain sources.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcGd7Y-Ei08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcGd7Y-Ei08

If you want to see some sing of the old songs check out Arthur Askey on the UK program The Good Old Days. Check out the hats in the audience.

More information on Parlor Music

If you want to get more information on Parlor Music you should visit the Parlor Music Website.

This is a not for profit organization dedicated to the following objectives:

1. Preservation
Parlor Songs is dedicated to the acquisition and rescue of the historic musical manuscripts that are a part of the popular music scene in America. We believe that our collection of 19th and 20th century music represents a unique grouping of manuscripts that will be lost to our culture and future if not saved through physical and digital preservation.

2. Education and sharing.
Beyond the preservation of the documents, we feel it is vital to share these works of art through education and exposition. This is accomplished through articles about the music, composers, lyricists, cover artists and others who contributed to the early development of American popular music. These articles and essays also address issues of historical perspective and include publication on the World Wide Web, CD-ROM, lectures, books and other forms of information distribution.

3. Providing a forum for study and discussion.
We want to provide a forum for individuals and organizations with similar interests and purposes where they may share information, tips for aquisition, valuation, preservation techniques as well as helping to guide the standards for digital preservation.

(quote from website)

This is a fun website to visit just to look up old songs and find out more about who wrote and produced it. You will also be able to play back the songs. You can even order a reproduction copy of the music, including the cover, for a very modest charge. There is a page on the website featuring hats on song sheet covers and some interesting background on the music sheets featured in their article.

Find Ladies Hats on Song Sheet Covers on their website.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

An Antique Market Find

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Darla is Back

OK I am back and recovering from tax season in Canada. A lot of fun stuff to come. Here are a couple of Victorian pictures (from tin types) found at the Toronto Antique Market today. These should get us started again.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlmEMTN6b3Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlmEMTN6b3Q

I have been using a number of Slide Share programs to develop videos to display hats old and new this is another one.

You can visit Flixtime.com and make your own free slide show. Provided you respect their terms and conditions the materials therein are free from royalty. The site is currently in beta and you are limited to a one minute show at this time. I presume that a premium paid version is under development.

I continue to look at other slide show offerings in connection with another project I have started.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This delightful picture was marked Christmas 1919 – exactly 90 years ago. Hats were becoming less pretentious in the post Great War period.

Unfortunately there is no name given for the young woman.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I recently found this lovely picture on a Cabinet Card. She appears to be with child. From the clothing and hat style the picture is from the late Victorian period I believe. It could also be from the early Edwardian period also. In any case it is very unusual to find a picture of a woman with child from this period. It would not have been considered appropriate in many circles. I would be interested in your comments on this photograph and any observations relative to the dress and the hat in particular.

The large feather is quite a statement is it not?

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is a picture of a World War 1 Soldier from France. He is wearing the familiar Kepi Hat that some French Soldiers wore. If you look closely at the picture you will notice that this man is wearing the croix de guerre medal for distinguished service. The cord on his shoulder is the Fourragére an award given to fighting units.

The French fourragére may be awarded by the French government if a unit was cited twice in the dispatches. Award of the fourragére is not automatic and requires a specific decree of the French government. The fourragére is the same colours as the ribbon for the Croix de Guerre. If a unit is cited four times, the fourragére colours are changed to that of the French Medaille Militaire instead of the Croix de Guerre.

I am obliged to the 64 Baker St website for this information quoted above.

You can find information about World War 1 French uniforms in this article.

The croix de guerre was awarded in both France and Belgium. This is a French soldier I believe since there is a stamp from a Paris photographer on the back. Marked on the back is “a picture of father (papa)” in French.

We will remember them – all fallen soldiers and veterans of all generations from every country.

UPDATE

In Flanders Fields Poem

By Lt Colonel John McCrae (Canadian)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

These are two 19th century engravings featuring the wearing of the tricorn hat by gentlemen and soldiers in the eighteenth century. The name relates to the three corners in the hat design (tri = 3). Interestingly the design provides a sort of gutter for the rain to run away from the wearer. It’s a wide brim hat often worn with the point to the front. The crown is low and barely visible. Tricorns survive today as part of the dress uniform of the Chelsea Pensioners in the UK. The Tricorn evolved into the Bicorn (e) the two pointed hat.

I was recently watching Turner Classic Movies and came across the 1935 version of Mutiny on the Bounty. Charles Laughton makes a gift of one of his Tricorn Hats to the native King of Tahiti. Apparently, Captain Cook had promised a visit by King George or a fancy hat. King George presented his “regrets”- oh yeah! Captain Bligh had to pay up the promised hat out of his own pocket (or off his head) – nice plot story and a sort of poetic justice. I doubt that this was historically true. It made for some visual amusement and it was a very handsome hat I must say.

You can still get your very own Tricorn Hat if you need one for a historical play or re-enactment or just for Halloween perhaps. Here’s a site selling some upscale leather replicas.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

An Antique Market Find.

The caption on this photograph says:

Mother with no wrinkles 20 ish

It is a photo postcard popular around 1918 to the 1920s. (The original is quite brownish and does not have the feel of a 1930s piece). Mother would have been born around the turn of the century. A delightful hat and a great image. Does anyone have any further thoughts on the age of the photo and the hat style?

Is this your Mother or Grandmother?

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is a wonderful picture of an Edwardian Hat. I recently acquired this lovely picture. It is truly an inspiration.

My apologies for the unscheduled break in posting here. I’m back and there is a lot of very exciting stuff coming up including another Milliner interview – this time with Milliner Lisa Battaglia. To be posted very very soon.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is a recent acquisition to my Vintage photo collection focusing on hats. From the clothing it is late Victorian. It’s bonnet inspired although it is not like the Regency Bonnets of around 1840 – enjoy!!

It’s sheer elegance!!

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Top Hat Man One

Top Hat Man 2

What is the appropriate way to rest a top hat when not in use?

The two pictures of gentlemen above circa the 1860s 0r 1870s from CDVs give you the answer. Men were proud of their top hats and wanted them in the picture with them. These men knew how to put a top hat down correctly. By the way in other pictures of men in the period the subject might be be holding their hat rather than placing it close by. The rule was that when holding a hat only the outside was to be shown – no display of linings in photos or in polite company.

The definitive answer is provided by Baron Hats in Hollywood who have the following to say on how to put a hat down:

Never rest a hat on its brim for any length of time, particularly a light-weight fabric hat, and particularly if the hat is wet. Weight on the hat will cause the brim to flatten out. Make it a habit (especially with “cowboy hat” styles!), to place your hat on a wall rack, or if on a table or smooth surface, place it CROWN DOWN, with the brim sticking up. This is also very true of our silk top hats! (Emphasis Added)

By the way Baron’s top hats are great – check out the exact replica of Abraham Lincoln’s Stove Pipe top hat available from them. It was made from measurements of the original in the Smithsonian Museum.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

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This picture is indirectly related to hats since both of the men on the cart are wearing hats.

The image is a recent acquisition. I have no real clues as to date since dray carts were used until the mid 20th century – albeit in a limited fashion. The picture is attached to Cabinet Card stock. Cabinet cards were on the wane in the period immediately prior to the First World War. I believe this to be a picture taken around 1910 but I stand to be corrected if you have any other ideas.

When I looked at this picture under a high resolution scan I saw they were carrying tomatoes for/from a company called Dominion Canning (I tried researching the company but was not able to find any useful information). The sign on the window of the building on the left reads Canadian Bank of Commerce. Not an elaborate sign – maybe it was a sub branch? The Bank merged in the 1960s and eventually became CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce on merger with the Imperial Bank).

I like the Greek fisherman’s cap on the driver’s assistant.

The two horses in the picture are great. They seem to be posing for the picture and are very well behaved. Horses used for haulage are/were specially bred. Check out more information here.

COMING SOON

Please stay tuned for part 2 of the interview with Lisa Shaub.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is a fun photograph it seems to be a group having fun after a Cricket Match (Game). This is another of my recent acquisitions. It looks like it is late Victorian (in the 1890s) based on the look of the women’s dresses and size of their hats. The photograph seems to be from the Victorian period – it is a Cabinet Card that has started to yellow – another clue. It’s all totally crazy – the score card numbers are everywhere and I don’t know what the significance of who has what number – an in joke perhaps?

A lot of different hats here. Kudos to the man in the centre of the back row – very smartly dressed in a bowler.

Two of the men are still wearing their protective cricket pads and some of the women are holding cricket bats. Was this a co-ed game – probably not, probably just horsing around. The young lady in the middle of the middle row pretending to bowl (pitch) the ball looks like someone to contend with. There is a “person” next to her dressed in a bonnet – a man playing around and probably not a true cross dresser.

Altogether a fun photo – I think it’s Canadian too and we here are not really huge cricket fans (maybe an English import of a photo taken in the UK).

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is a picture I picked up at the Toronto Antique Market last weekend. It’s a sea of hats and appears to be a group company photograph. It’s curious that women if any are not in the picture – are they back in the office/factory doing the work?

There is quite a variety of hats here. The higher status men seem to be wearing bowlers (derbys) the lower status wear caps of different typs. At least one of the men appears to be wearing a Homberg.

I am not sure when this photo was taken. It is before World War 1 – it is a Cabinet Photo style albeit a very large one. It might have been taken a bit before the 1910 date I put in the heading to this post. I reduced it to postcard size and I will be offering copies for sale on my Cafe Press store when I next update the Store contents – I have quite a few new items to add.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Harley Davidson 1925 style

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This is a great image I picked up at the Antique Market a few months ago. It appears to be an amateur photograph and no information was written on the picture. Maybe the dashing rider was a relative of the photographer or he/she was just crazy about Harleys?

I went to the Harley Davidson site to identify the period. The bike in the picture appears to be from 1925. Any comments? It’s certainly cool. I like the rider’s hat and goggles. The bike is really shiny and he looks like he’s ready for a race. All the men and boys are sporting hats of all kinds. Like the race track picture I posted the other day no women (unless in disguise). What no biker girls in the mid 1920s?

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Photograph provided by permission from the City of Toronto Archives

City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 2575

A lot has been written about women’s hats at the races and I recently wrote a post about my trip to the Queen’s Plate last month. Not much has been written about the wearing of hats by men at the horse races. Some men still wear bowlers and top hats to the races on special occasions. However, this photograph of men betting at the race track shows that the wearing of hats for everyday wear in the 1920s was common place. There is a veritable sea of hats in the picture. You can spot boaters and bowlers in abundance together with driving caps. There is at least one top hat wearer (during the day yet) – see if you can spot it!

Was this “Men’s Day”where are the ladies? Perhaps it was not considered lady like to line up at the bookies to place a bet – not computerized tote then. A very different time.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSZcd8Z9UBk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSZcd8Z9UBk&feature=channel_page

I was looking at some videos “related”to my first you tube video in my last post and came accross this video of women from the past who lived in Toronto many in hats.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is my very first You tube video. You can view the video on the You Tube Site and embed it or share it on social media sites. This is the Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBpDIhBGbfc

The music is Midnight Bells by Heuberger which was obtained from Shockwave Sound. This and other Royalty Free Music can be obtained for your projects at their site

http://www.shockwave-sound.com/a/3d9b299782

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

The reverse on the photograph reads

Edward Adams son of Mr and Mrs Elisha Adams Glencoe Ontario.

His wife Amelia Otton Adams

I recently acquired this photograph. I do not know the date but it is great we have names and locations. My best guess would be between 1915 and 1925 but I am not sure. Anybody else have any other ideas? The look and feel of the actual photo is similar to ones I have from around 1914.

Glencoe Ontario is just West of London Ontario Canada about half way between Toronto and Detroit – I did not measure it on the map.

Well I love a man in a top hat and that goes without saying. Amelia is wearing a great down turned brim hat made from a really shiny elegant fabric. They both look really smart don’t they?

OK they are not the Addams Family of comedy fame. LOL

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I found this picture at our local Toronto Antique Market a few weeks ago. It appears to have been taken in the 1940s I would say either during World War II or shortly after that. It looks Canadian or American. Unfortunately the badge on the Naval Cap is not distinct enough. I love the fur and the fascinator on the woman(Wife?). (Can anyone make out the insignia?).

It is important to be grateful to the men and (increasingly) women who serve their various countries in very dangerous work. Today, in the USA, and November 11 in many other countries(including the USA) we give this special thought. Please spend a few minutes thinking about them wherever you are from.

I was interested in why US fallen service men and women are remembered in May. Memorial Day was first instituted to remember fallen soldiers in the US Civil War. It is held close to the date of reunification of the North and South. It was a brutal war to be sure. Of course, Memorial Day has taken on a broader significance as the US recognize the fallen service women and men, injured service people past and present and their serving men and women in all the Wars since then.

I am a Canadian and a British ex pat and join the Americans in their rememberance. I for one am grateful for their support in both World Wars and their continuing support now. I also recognize the sacrifice of people in armed forces everywhere.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

My weekly (well almost weekly) Antique Market Find is this great picture. It’s from the late Victorian Period I believe. It is a small Cabinet Card and needed quite a bit of Photo shop work. I love the parasol, the very Hispanic headdress on the woman and the great boater on the man.

All Rights Reserved

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Tomorrow is the date for Mother’s Day in Canada and the USA and in a whole lot of countries. Dates for celebration of Mother’s Day vary widely around the world as you can read at this link. It is interesting that in England where I was born Mother’s Day is celebrated in March. Well even if tomorrow is not your day just send Mom a note of appreciation anyway.

My Mother Winifred worked as a hat machinist in my Home Town of Luton where there was extensive hat making. The town’s Football (Soccer) Club is known as the “Hatters”. Luton has grown since I left several years ago and now has a University. Hat manufacturing has declined over the years as the practice of wearing hats has also declined. We are here to change that aren’t we? We all need to do something to bring hat wearing back into style. I used to visit my Mother in the little factories where she worked. There were rooms of machinists – 100% women as I remember- and there was a room for blocking, a steamy sweaty job – this was 100% men. Hat blocking was certainly not considered to be “women’s work”. It was a different time! I got interested in hats from a very young age. It has been too long since hat wearing has died out as a fashion statement for general wear. It’s a great pity for me.

I thought that you would be interested in the picture I am sharing with you today. I bought it on E-Bay. The top left hand corner had been today torn away. I had to do quite a bit or work on it on Photo Shop. On the back is written “Radie and Harold”. Judging by the large size of the hat we are dealing with around 1910, perhaps a few years earlier. I have seen some other material with hats like that from around 1910 (Any other thoughts from my fellow history buffs). I love the Wicker pram (Baby Carriage) and the newborn baby “Harold”, the Mother “Radie” seems so proud. Radie could be your Mother, Grandmother,Great Grandmother or even Great Great Grandmother. Please share this link widely – I think that it will bring a smile to your Mother’s face and of course to all those Great Grandmoms out there!

Remember please share this post with your Mothers and Grandmothers.

Happy Mother’s Day

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I got a great image from the Antique Market in Toronto today. It is two ladies wearing hats and a young man at the back holding a Derby hat with a low crown and turned up brim (look carefully). Men and boys usually held their hat in these pictures but women proudly wore theirs. On the back is written “Mrs Terrell teacher of Belleville”.  Belleville is town about 2 hours or so east of Toronto on the way to Montreal. The picture is probably of a Mother (“the teacher”?) and her daughter and son. A lovely image.

By the clothing it looks to be from around the mid 1890s but it could be a little earlier (no date on the picture).

(All Rights Reserved)

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a picture from Edwardian times showing a horse wearing a fancy hat – it has been hand tinted.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

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Here is a picture of an elderly lady on a cabinet card I found today. She seems to be wearing an Victorian Dress and an early Edwardian Hat. Isn’t the hat just great – an inspiration for us today. The picture would be circa 1905 I believe (could be earlier). Check out the fancy purse!

I found this in my trip to the Antique Market today. I got a great little Italian Hat in pristine shape for $20 Canadian dollars!

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday’s visit to the Antique Market.

One is a couple with child from around the Edwardian period. The woman in the picture appears to be wearing a bird’s nest hat  called so by its resemblance to a bird’s nest. The other is two ladies out for a buggy ride in the 1890s/early 1900 period.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I thought that you would be interested in hat wearing for cycling in Edwardian times. Not safe but elegant. Quite dangerous to balance your hat as well as your bike.

(All Rights Reserved)

I would like to thank Blogging Women for adding me to their Directory which is manually approved for acceptance of blogs. Please see the side bar on this blog for a link to the Directory,

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Ok I thought that you would like a big smile to welcome me back. I have been gone for a few days from the blog and I hope that you did not miss me too much. OK well I hope you missed me a lot. I’m ready to get back to hat business.

Tonight I have a great tin type I recently acquired on E-Bay. It looks to be from the 1890s and is taken in front of a picture of Niagara Falls. Everyone is wearing very interesting hats, including the men – it’s a classic.

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Which is your favorite hat here? I love the tall derby hats.

Exciting times are ahead and there is more to come. I am working on a logo for the site so that is something that is worth looking forward to.

I hope to have sound blog bites here in the near future.

As well, I continue to extend an invitation to milliners who might want their work featured here in this blog.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

As usual I went to the Antique Market yesterday. I have been really under the weather and slowed down on posting. I will get back to it soon. I have been learning how to put sound on my blogs and I will post some items here very soon with sound. I hope that you will enjoy them.

I have also been playing with Twitter  as I was a shut in for a few days.(UPDATE now at Twitter on @IFRS_Exorcist

I have a lot of ideas for posting this week so please stay tuned and thanks for your patience.

Here is an attractive young lady with a fantastic hat. It was marked 1904 in pencil.. Enjoy! What an inspiration for future designs!

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a very interesting image I recently acquired from E Bay and cleaned up (All Rights Reserved)

I will be making the image available for purchase through my Cafe Press store as a note card in the near future so please check.

I love the dog and the basket of eggs – very homey. I wonder if this was a brother and two sisters?

This is quite a rare image from the late nineteenth century. Apparently the tall stove pipe top hats came into vogue as a part of the Welsh costume for women after 1840. The hat was modeled after the stove pipe hats worn by men during the period. I have written before about the Stove Pipe top hat worn by Abraham Lincoln. It’s interesting that even the hats for women were influenced by men’s hats. In recent styles we have seen men’s hats heavily influencing women’s styles. Recent examples have been the Trilby and the Newsboy Cap. The Welsh hat also resembled the sloping style worn by men in the late eighteenth century and into the Regency Period. Sydney Carton, a character in Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities is often shown wearing a hat like that. You may remember he sacrificed himself at the guillotine.

The picture is probably a set piece for Saint David’s day in Wales. It is very compelling and wonderful. The hat portrayed worn by the women was in use as daily wear in the latter half of the nineteenth century Victorian period. Prior to that period bonnets would have been common. You can see an example of the hat on display in a museum in Wales and the story of the hat owner at this link. Apparently in her older years she tried to keep up the tradition of the tall hat into the Edwardian period when there were very different hat styles. Even in the last few years of the Victorian period these tall hats were quite a curiosity.

You can buy some porcelain figures of ladies in Welsh costume here.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Saint Patricks Day to you all!

Oh well yes in two days time on March 17

More information on the grand day can be found here. The parades are often held on other days on the nearest weekend. For instance the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Toronto is TODAY March 15.

Here is a selection of very hatty St Patricks cards. Top of the Mornin’to you all.

They are produced for fun and not for further reproduction. Nothing to stop you forwarding this post to others as a kind of Saint Patrick’s Day Card.  (You can click on the image for a better view and right click on the resulting image to enable you to read the words on the cards).

Although I am actually from England originally I find St Paddy’s day very fun. One year I dressed in Costume and went to a bar with my face painted green. On the train going home a kid remarked “Look Mommy – a leprechaun! ”

Not really funny to be a girl leprechaun – but they are fairies that like to do mischief so the moniker sort of fits (it’s a really good disguise!!!) (Leprechauns are generally portrayed as very small (dwarf) wrinkly old men – not the look I really want to have for every day – all in good fun though).

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a great picture from the early 20th Century.

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You can see two Bowler (Derby) hats. One Fedora type with a wide hat band and a flat driving cap. Don’t you just like the tilted bowler hat on the young man at the back?

How smart they look.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a picture I just acquired from e-bay for my collection (All Rights Reserved)

It is marked “Laura 1920″. It’s a great image and I will be modifying it for sale as a Notecard on my Cafe Press site.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Please check out my new Cafe Press Store Nostalgic Dreams. I have just opened the store and it has a lot of items with Vintage Photos of hat wearing. There is no obligation to buy just come and take a look and admire the hats. I will be adding more over the next few weeks and on into the future.

Sorry my post for yesterday blew up the rest of the site stay tuned for more exciting discussion – sorry.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I have encountered a few men lately with top hat envy. Of course I tell them about my blog. I great way to chat up men eh?

A few weeks ago I was presenting a workshop on pension accounting. I spoke with one of the other presenters and asked about his “top hat” plans (pension plans for senior executives). He said “What happened to this hat wearing thing anyway? Perfect I gave him my card for this blog. Any opportunity to promote hat wearing. Please support the cause and tell others about this blog.

This morning I was having my usual breakfast across the road from where I live and I ran into a young man I see wearing hats a lot – usually a Trilby – very cool. I had previously given him my card. I gave him my new card that has the new profile picture of me wearing the Aretha Franklin hat. He promised to take it and share it with his office colleagues. We got talking about Lincoln (his birthday was yesterday) and his Stove Pipe Top Hat. we were discussing how difficult it is to come by really good quality top hats. I said that he should check out the Baron’s Hats website. They show the replica of Lincoln’s hat. Hey it’s expensive but what the heck – it’s good to stimulate top hat envy. You may recall my telling you about how Barons has meticulously recreated Abe’s hat from careful measurements of the real thing on display at the Smithsonian Museum.

Well perhaps you readers an tell us where to get quality top hats by leaving your comments here. It’s not only for men. Britney Spears wears one as Ring Mistress in her new Video “Circus“.

In the meantime I acquired another picture for my collection. Here is a man wearing a light coloured top hat with a high crown. It’s likely from the Civil War period but could be up to twenty years after I think? He has a smart top hat but his suit looks like he slept in it? Too bad we do not have a name or occupation,

It would be great to have your dreamboat guy take you out wearing his smart top hat. And you wearing your best tea party hat. By the way do not forget your hat at your Valentines High Tea Parties!

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©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a mother with her baby. The photograph appears to be from the 1920s. The mother looks so ready for summer – what’s with the fur? The baby is so cute – so he could be your grandfather!

You were nowhere without your fur AND your hat! Why not wear a stylish hat when you are having your picture taken with your baby?

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here are more Edwardians for your enjoyment. Check out the Big Hat – a source of inspiration. I was at our Antique Market today and found some great items. I have been working on site maintenance and setting up a new site for my IFRS blog. Please let me know if you experience any disturbances in the force (from Star Wars). This Internet stuff gets hairy. BTW I notice subscriptions are increasing. Please subscribe (see icon in the corner of the blog). You can subscribe by email – click on the link at the end of this post.

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©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I just obtained the above CDV from E-bay. If you wish to reproduce it please write to me for permission and provide attribution – but ask me first.

It’s a CDV (Carte de Visite) and these were popular in the 1860s and 1870s. I understand that the cameras could take multiple image of the same shot. It was easy to give copies to your friends and relatives. The CDV had the press report glued to the back of the card. There is no date or newspaper name. A quick search in Google revealed no results. I intend to follow up and see if I can find more information. You will notice that Mr. Warden, who looks a lot older than 28, is holding a shiny black stove pipe hat made famous by Lincoln. The date of the image is probably late 1860s or 1870s. I am not certain right now. It is wonderful that a name and story comes attached to the picture. Do you know a Warden they may be related to this unfortunate fellow?

This blog is not the place to explore Opium smoking by Victorian Intellectuals. There is an article here discussing it and the current threats. Here is another article referring to a Chinese Opium Den. The Victorian Web has an illustration showing opium smoking in a place of ill repute. You may recall that opium comes up frequently in Sherlock Holmes stories. The Victorian times were the age of elegance and top hat wearing for the favored few, but the dark side was the Opium smoking. George Warden was one who fell victim to it – smoking to control “chest pains”. Times were different then – quite interesting eh. Today we would have no hesitation calling this a drug overdose. Read more about Opium in the Wikipedia. It was very common as you will read to use opium as a medicinal drug well into the nineteenth century!

I just love the shiny top hat. It makes you want to get into a time machine to pay a visit to Victorian England and watch the elegant handsome men strut in their lovely top hats. Will we ever get that back again?

Happy Birthday Abraham Lincoln!

On a more joyful note February 12 will be the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. See my previous post on Lincoln and Obama.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Sybil Arundale (real name Sybil Kelly) born London, England  20 June 1879 & died London 5 Sep 1965. ( See link for source). Sybil was a sister of actress Grace Arundale & in 1893 the 2 girls appeared in music halls and were billed as The Sisters Arundale I found this photograph of her on a postally used postcard, mailed March 5, 1906. It is in the Milton Gossette series No 44. It was sent to Miss Ruth Mellor in Newsome, near Huddersfield England. The sender said the picture looked like her.

I was struck by the hat in the picture which seems to have been attached by two hair pins. It might be held in place with elastic to the back of the hair. Any opinions on this from professionals?  It is a design that someone could use as a basis for a design today. It is not as wild as some of the Edwardian Hats.

There have been some other postcards of Miss Sybil Arundale posted elsewhere on the Internet.

Here are a few other references: Here and here (as Dick Whittington)

No copyright of this picture is claimed. I believe it to be in the public domain,however, I am not a lawyer and can get it wrong. If you are the copyright owner please email me and I will take the image down.

I present the picture for educational purposes and in the greater interest of promoting hat wearing.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I thought that it was time to share one of my vintage photo collection with you. (All rights reserved)

The large hat on the woman indicates that we are dealing with the very early 20 Th century – the Edwardian Period (i.e. Edward VII reign in Britain). Is the man wearing a hat for hunting or is it just style. I think it’s the style?

Does anyone have any information on that style? I’ve actually seen a similar style for women in the 60s.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Where has style gone in Hospitals?  Perhaps style has no place in Hospital?  The above is a picture I acquired last summer at the Antique Market here in Toronto. Most of the nurses are actually closing their eyes. It was Christmas but I doubt that they were drunk. The flash was too strong perhaps? I did a lot of searching on the Internet to see if I could identify the style of the hats on the Internet. This is a big job since each School of Nursing had its own style. I was not successful in the identification. Some of the styles were clearly based on the Catholic Nun’s Habit others a style of their own. I found it difficult to guess the period here. One of the ladies in the back row is in civilian clothes that could be from the twenties, it’s pure guesswork. The period could be the First World War or immediately prior to that date. Can anyone help me?
Nurses uniforms in North American have evolved to “scrubs” similar to those worn by doctors. This appears to be a revolution that took place in the 1970s/1980s. In other countries nurses have kept to tradition. Why the change? Here are some reasons given:

• The hats were not unisex and the profession wanted to attract men – they can do heavy lifting that is a real problem for nurses. A lot of injuries from the strain of lifting.
• The hats were not professional and marginalize women.
• The hats were not practical and could harbour germs (?)

It seems a pity that a tradition died. Can we at least bring them back for special occasions? If you want to read some background on nursing history go to the Canadian Museum of Civilization and read the discussion there.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

A lot has been said about hats worn by guests to a wedding but very little recently about hats worn by the wedding party, the bridesmaids. Here are some pictures of bridesmaids wearing hats. They look like they are from the 1950s. They were obtained from our Toronto Antique Market – all rights reserved. Open the link in a new window for a close up view.

Enjoy!

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a “tin type” picture that I obtained locally in Toronto. I have shown a scan of the original together with a Photoshop version. It shows that these images are still very clear even after a period of well over 100 years.

Before Photoshop:

After Photoshop:

Tin type photographs were very popular during the Civil War in the USA in the early 1860s but the process was used for decades after that even into the next century. So the photograph was taken in the early period of photography – also judging by the style of the “Sunday best” costume. It was found in very good condition! A good job was done and we are lucky it survived. The hats are very spectacular – Ribbons and Bows.

By the way there is no tin in tin type.

Patent number 14,300, “For the Use of Japanned Metallic Plates in Photography,” was issued on 19 February 1856 to Professor Hamilton L. Smith of Kenyon College, Ohio. The patent illustrated “the obtaining of positive impressions upon a japanned surface previously prepared upon an iron or other metallic or mineral sheet or plate by means of collodion and a solution of a salt of silver.”

Now that’s telling you. Thank goodness we have it easy taking photographs. We can take several to get the “best”one. Here there are few opportunities – probably only one take?

This post is based on a post on Hat Nostalgia blog – per transition plan

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

(Hat Revivalist personal collection All Rights Reserved)

I believe that the Edwardian Period was the golden age of hat style. This was an age when showy beat out practicality. In today’s more casual environment this is hard for us to imagine. You would actually go out on a picnic or to the beach dressed up as if you were going to a wedding. This is a great image of an attractive young lady wearing an enormous hat. Not too practical for riding in the open top automobiles of the period, on a windy day in general, or most certainly at the theatre – you don’t want to be sitting behind her!

In my day young ladies would balance a book on their head for posture. In those days your hat gave you posture. Can you imagine riding a bicycle in one of these hats? I have a picture of an Edwardian lady riding a bicycle in her hat. I plan to publish a piece on bicycle riding in the early days with big hats. Obviously a dangerous practice. As they say on the Myth Busters show don’t try this at home! We have laws to make you wear a helmet. Well at least it is another type of hat!

The large hats spawned a big industry in hat pins. These pins were very dangerous and some inventors got creative. Keep watching the Wacky Hatty inventions series!

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a very stylish young lady. She is wearing a lot of dress, with bustle. The picture appears to be from the 1870s looking at the dress style and the somewhat simple straw hat she is holding. The image has been enhanced from a CDV (Carte de Visite) I obtained at the Toronto Antique Market. The original image has yellowed somewhat, probably owing to the Albumen process used. These small 2.5inch by 4 inch cards were very popular in the 1870s. Some cameras could take multiple images from a single exposure.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

While browsing through channels on You Tube I found this great Video from ITN in the UK. It is from Charles and Camilla’s wedding a few years ago. There was a strange mixture of people at the event, including show business personalities. The hats were delicious and not only the women’s hats. It was more of a day at Ascot than a day at a Royal Wedding. There were men in top hats there -- how good is that?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIJMyv7BawQ

If you are viewing this by RSS feed or e-mail here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIJMyv7BawQ&eurl=&feature=player_embedded

How do I get a feeling that the guests were looking to outdo the bride? Is this a social no-no. Can someone familiar with wedding etiquette weigh in with their opinion? Please add your comments below. I have heard that it’s not nice to outdo the bride. I have also heard that it’s a big party why not go all out and celebrate.

Just for fun here is a fun Edwardian Wedding Picture I picked up this weekend. Almost everyone seemed to want to outdo the bride?

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Metal Toy Banks were very popular in the late 19th century to encourage thrift in children. They were fun and collectible now. A lot of replica/reproductions have been produced so be careful when you buy one.

Here is an interesting bank which has a huge hat ready to be brought down on the head once the coins are deposited. This is a kind of reverse ducking stool?

Here it is, patent 13,401 dated November 7, 1882 by Charles Richel.

It’s a lot of fun. According to the description:

“The general feature of the design consists of the figure of a boot black sitting on his box, in front of a street hydrant, with outstretched hands holding a brush, between which and the top of the hydrant the coins are to be placed by the depositors for discharge into the bank, when another boy, standing behind the first, swings down a huge hat upon the head of the latter, the said figures being mounted on the top of the case or box of the bank” GASP!

A lot of fun but political correctness was not the order of the day. Please take it in the spirit of history.

It occurs to me that this big hat is a sort of variant of the famous ten gallon hat invented by the Stetson Company. I think the oversize hat is somewhat bigger. By the way the famous ten gallon hat does not hold ten gallons of liquid of course. According to the Stetson Hat site the hat holds three quarts of liquid. Hat abuse I say…

A word of caution about these patents. Although they may have expired there may be derivatives that are registered. See my previous post on this. This is presented for education and entertainment.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

The Tam o’ Shanter is a Scottish bonnet  originally worn by men. However, women have adopted a form of this hat and it is often known as a “Tam” or a “Tammy”.

The hat is named after the Robbie Burns poem Tam o’  Shanter, written in 1790 and six pages long; this is regarded as a classic like many things by Burns. The poem is often illustrated by a character wearing a hat in this style. You can read the original and a translation on the Robert Burns UK site.

The hat is usually made of wool and has a pompon ( known as a toorie) in the centre. It is quite a floppy type of hat with the crown sometimes twice the diameter of the head. They are available in many colours and tartans. Originally they were dyed blue ( the famous “blue bonnets”), owing to the limitation of available dyes.

The Tam is referred to as a “bonnet” from old French ( and not as a “beret”) although it does not look like the very fashionable bonnet worn by ladies in the late 18th. and early 19th. centuries (reminiscent of Marie Antoinette) . A beret on the other hand refers to a rounder more tighter fitting hat. This is confusing – just call it a “Tam”.

The Scottish Tam o’Shanter is sometimes worn with a feather plume that is known as a “hackle”. This plume adornment is now mostly worn by bandsmen (or perhaps women as well?).

Here is a charming photograph of a baby wearing a Tam complete with hackle. It was originally a cabinet card from late Victorian vintage. The baby is posing in a lovely wicker baby carriage (“pram” as we called them in Britain). It’s a great image. Probably the baby carriage was a prop in the photographer’s studio. Of course, babies did not generally wear Tams complete with plume – that would be a bit unsafe don’t you think?

The Tam is very popular  in Scottish Regiments and was worn as battle dress in World War II. Of course, don’t confuse this with the beret made famous by Field Marshal (Monty) Montgomery. During the War they were plain khaki but now the dress Tams are more stylish.

I am obliged to various pages of the Wikipedia for some of the information in this posting. Their articles are interesting but vary in quality.

Women wear a form of Tam This one is made by Betmar, picture courtesy of Aaron hats.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is an old tin type photograph with a group of very hatty ladies with very fancy hats. From the shape of the mutton sleeves the picture probably dates to around 1895 plus or minus a few years. They look like they are on stage. Probably the members of some group. It could have been at a photographer’s studio where the equipment would be set up.

Santa Claus is there out of costume but who is the other man? Any suggestions? Keep them clean please.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I thought that you would be delighted with this very unusual image from the Canadian Countryman issue of April 4 1936. The kid is wearing a cute little hat. She sits in a little cart being pulled by a very large black sheep. I have never seen a sheep cart like this. Has anyone seen anything like it?

This truly is “Unique Transportation”as the caption says!

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.