1983 Hat styles and Danbury CT. history

[rlk]

 

[Lefty]

That's it, I'm out.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Rastafarian Hobbits?

Brad

 

[rlk]

 

[Lefty]

Rastafarian Hobbits?

Brad

Rastafarian Hobbit Matadors

 

[Brad Bowers]

Rastafarian Hobbit Matadors

As Dave Barry used to say, sounds like a good name for a band.

Brad

 

[rlk]

Style Trendsetters

Not just Matadors, They also premiered "the bro"

 

[rlk]

From Mars?

And could do formal wear too.

 

[rlk]

The real story...

http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/ekoiko/story1.html

 

[Brad Bowers]

Back to the topic, this card is from the period:

Brad

 

[Mocheman]

I grew up in Danbury, CT..aka Hat City

I toured the old Mallory Hat Factory as cub a scout with my troop and my mom. They were producing Stetsons at the time. The smokestack said Mallory in big letters going down the side of it which always impressed me. I can still remember the smell of the wet felt. Mainly because it made my mom sick. When we were done with the tour they gave each of us a rejected black felt cowboy hat blank. That hat became the go to pilgram, pirate and anything else I could come up with for years.

Later after it closed I would still pass by it every day on my way to highschool. The big Mallory smokestack was sort of friendly beacon. I always wondered if anyone would ever take over the building and turn it into something, but that never happened. Eventually they tore the whole factory down including that wonderful smokestack.

When I went back for a visit I drove by the site where it had stood a few years before. I kinda of felt like that was the last remaining connection to the Danbury of old. I guess like losing an old friend since I saw it almost ever day of my life.

That image was taken from this website which has a few more hat making pictures from Danbury http://www.memorylanecollection.com/danbury.cfm?category=6
I could not find a picture of the old Mallory Hat Factory.

 

[rlk]

1991 Yankee Magazine

 

[rlk]

I grew up in Danbury, CT..aka Hat City

I toured the old Mallory Hat Factory as cub a scout with my troop and my mom. They were producing Stetsons at the time. The smokestack said Mallory in big letters going down the side of it which always impressed me. I can still remember the smell of the wet felt. Mainly because it made my mom sick. When we were done with the tour they gave each of us a rejected black felt cowboy hat blank. That hat became the go to pilgram, pirate and anything else I could come up with for years.

Later after it closed I would still pass by it every day on my way to highschool. The big Mallory smokestack was sort of friendly beacon. I always wondered if anyone would ever take over the building and turn it into something, but that never happened. Eventually they tore the whole factory down including that wonderful smokestack.

When I went back for a visit I drove by the site where it had stood a few years before. I kinda of felt like that was the last remaining connection to the Danbury of old. I guess like losing an old friend since I saw it almost ever day of my life.

I could not find a picture of the old Mallory Hat Factory.

 

[Bustercat]

Sad to see what happened. Kind of kicking myself for buying a chinese hat (stefeno) on principle, no matter how nice it is. Next one will be
a Stetson or something else made here.

http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/ekoiko/story1.html

So they were kidnapped?
what a creepy story.

 

[2manyhats]

This is a great thread. I'm going to be attending college in Danbury. I hope some of the old buildings are still around!

 

[Tonio]

Here's a couple links to terrific and fascinating archival audio interviews with folks from Danbury who were involved in the hat making business. URLs are below, there is a playable audio file when you scroll down the webpage.

Date: 1979-04-03
Running Time: 58 min
Abstract - Mr. Lasher recounts his time as a chemist working in the danbury hatting industry. He talks about the specific process of making a hat, and postulates on possible reasons for the demise of the hatting industry. Talks about the ethnic discrimination that went on during the time period.
URL- http://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/items/show/2917

Date: 1980s
Running Time: 36min
Abstract - 3 Danbury hatters discussing the industry and conditions in the first half of the 20th century
URL- http://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/items/show/1662

 

[Frunobulax]

Here's a couple links to terrific and fascinating archival audio interviews with folks from Danbury who were involved in the hat making business. URLs are below, there is a playable audio file when you scroll down the webpage.

Date: 1979-04-03
Running Time: 58 min
Abstract - Mr. Lasher recounts his time as a chemist working in the danbury hatting industry. He talks about the specific process of making a hat, and postulates on possible reasons for the demise of the hatting industry. Talks about the ethnic discrimination that went on during the time period.
URL- http://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/items/show/2917

Date: 1980s
Running Time: 36min
Abstract - 3 Danbury hatters discussing the industry and conditions in the first half of the 20th century
URL- http://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/items/show/1662

Thanks for giving this one a bump, Tonio. I had not seen this thread before.