Amon Carter Borsalino; Stetson Shady Oak Farm; Peters Bros Shady Oaks, Bankers Special & Shady Pines

[Mighty44]

What a weird and fascinating story this thread makes—great research, Jack. Seems likely that this was the inspiration for LBJ’s tradition of giving hats to guests.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

What a weird and fascinating story this thread makes—great research, Jack. Seems likely that this was the inspiration for LBJ’s tradition of giving hats to guests.

Carter first met LBJ in 1941 & supported Johnson’s run for the Senate. Carter believed in Fort Worth first, Texas second. I’m sure Johnson learned a lot from him & modeled his early political career to align with Carter’s principals & support.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Amon Carter

Dated 1955 this pic would have been among the last taken before his fatal heart attack on June 23rd.

 

[Frunobulax]

Still making them. Posted today.

I'm tempted...

 

[Bamaboots]

It is purdy.

 

[RossRYoung]

$2,150 is the price (as pictured) for the hat. 2k without the BE. I haven’t bought a custom before, but seems outrageously expensive.

 

[Frunobulax]

$2,150 is the price (as pictured) for the hat. 2k without the BE. I haven’t bought a custom before, but seems outrageously expensive.

It is outrageous, and needless to say, the temptation has left my body. It isn't even a custom. That thing's a 7 1/4 "off the rack."

 

[M Hatman]

$2,150 is the price (as pictured) for the hat. 2k without the BE. I haven’t bought a custom before, but seems outrageously expensive.

AND it does not even have burn holes or matchsticks in the ribbon!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

In searching for the whereabouts of this hat given to JFK at breakfast in Fort Worth the morning of his assassination I found documentation & its true identity. Claims have been made thru the yrs that it was a “Texas Hat” made by Peters Bros as a gift to the President. Doubt could be cast on that claim when the Mayor of Fort Worth, Raymond Buck credits only Washer Bros for the gift during his presentation to the President. Amon G. Carter sourced all his Stetson Shady Oak Farm hats thru Washer Bros but Carter had died in 1955. There was also the possibility that it could be a Resistol sourced by LBJ thru his friendship & political support from Harry Rolnik. LBJ had previously given JFK a Resistol on his first campaign trip to TX & the LBJ Ranch.

Officially the Fort Worth breakfast presentation hat was a gift from a member of the general public. After the assassination, along with the pink Tony Lama western boots given to the First Lady the hat was the property of the Kennedy family in the care of the General Services Administration. Today both the hat & the boots are in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA, donated by the family when it opened in 1965. Currently the hat is not on display.

According to physical property records of the museum the hat is a Stetson OR Twenty-five taken out of inventory from Washer Bros:

“Grey felt cowboy hat, with cord hat band with button on top, pierced with hat pin in shape of brand "JBS" for John B. Stetson. The interior hat band has gold printing: "Washer Bros, Fort Worth/ Open Road/ Stetson Twenty Five/ John B. Stetson Company".

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https://jfk.artifacts.archives.gov/...91feb5028daebad53c6c13bd48060e4a38c0416&idx=1

Still searching for the LBJ Resistol hat.

This hat gets curiouser & curiouser: Neal Shudde,

“In November, 1963, Neal’s father Weldon got a call from Mayor Lewis Cutrer who said, “Weldon, the President’s coming to town. Can we give him a hat?” In response, Shudde Brothers donated a Stetson “Silver Belly” size 7 5/8, to be given to John F. Kennedy in Houston on November 21, 1963. Because of a crowded schedule in Houston, it was presented to him in Fort Worth the next morning, two hours before he was murdered.”

https://grapevinesource.com/2018/05...ats-local-family-has-made-hats-for-112-years/

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Puzzle partially solved. According to records found in the General Services Administration apparently there were two hats presented to President John F. Kennedy in Fort Worth the morning of Nov 22, 1963:

This is the Stetson Open Road Twenty-five taken from Washer Bros inventory that he refused to model saying, “I’ll put it on in the White House on Monday. If you come up there, you’ll have a chance to see it then.”

And this is the Peters Bros “Shady Pine Banker Fifty Made Expressly for John F. Kennedy” also presented contemporaneously & currently in the possession of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum after being donated by a private collector in 1990.

Still searching for the Shudde Bros Stetson & the Resistol gifted by LBJ.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

A Borsalino Shady Oak Bankers Special in a very small sized fedora has turned up for sale. It did not sell its first time thru.

2 inch brim; 1-1/2 inch band; 3-1/2 inch crown.