Found: Amazing Vintage Dobbs Homburg

[Marc Chevalier]

My first vintage hat ever ... it was inherited from my great-grandmother's long-dead husband. A black homburg from the 1920s, made by "Gelot" (a Parisian hatter). Luckily, I have a photo of the hat's former owner wearing it in the '20s . (My great-grandmother is to his right):

I took some steam, curled the sides of the brim so that they form a "smile", popped out the side dents in the crown, and in that way made it mine. Love that hat!





.

 

[Lawman]

Guys, I just stopped back by the shop, tried it on again, and could not pull the trigger. I just thought it looked funny on my head. It really is beautiful, and looks like it has not even been worn. It still had a small, very yellowed, paper tag io the back inside brim, right beneath the bow thingy, with the size on it. I looked a little like Stan Laurel. Not as cool as the pics you all so kindly shared.

On to the Fawcett fedora!

Mark

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Somehow, this 1930s French dude got it right. Note the slight curl to the brim:

 

[Woodfluter]

Wonderful family pictures (plus others) Marc! Merci beaucoup! Others, please post family pictures of gentlemen in hats...this is always a pleasure to see and a very personal, informative window into the past.

I do like even more curl to the brim of homburgs. Here is my first landfall in that realm, a Dobbs also (excuse please the casual dress):


Also recently landed a black Cavanagh homburg in 7-1/2, which I will post in eBay finds when it reaches my door.

As a side note, I think Homburgs today fall into a netherworld for many. They recognize fedoras from detective movies of the "golden era" and more recent sightings, but are too young to have associations with Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt or Anthony Eden or diplomats. They see it as a kind of strange fedora. So perhaps (the Godfather aside) it is a blank slate in that regard.

- Bill

 

[mayserwegener]

Wonderful family pictures (plus others) Marc! Merci beaucoup! Others, please post family pictures of gentlemen in hats...this is always a pleasure to see and a very personal, informative window into the past.

I do like even more curl to the brim of homburgs. Here is my first landfall in that realm, a Dobbs also (excuse please the casual dress):


Also recently landed a black Cavanagh homburg in 7-1/2, which I will post in eBay finds when it reaches my door.

As a side note, I think Homburgs today fall into a netherworld for many. They recognize fedoras from detective movies of the "golden era" and more recent sightings, but are too young to have associations with Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt or Anthony Eden or diplomats. They see it as a kind of strange fedora. So perhaps (the Godfather aside) it is a blank slate in that regard.

- Bill

Looks great!

 

[Ordinary Guy]

I just posted about a Homburg in the classified section...

I have always wanted one and thought I could pull it off with the right suit but I don't have any hat stores anywhere near me...

I went on vacation to NOLA and went to Meyer's ( who has been around since 1894) I had a blast talking to the owner and son and trying on hats.....

When we got to the Homburg's I mentioned I had always wanted one and asked to try some on, after the second one the owner said while chuckling " I don't believe it is for you sir" and he was right.... lol