Gettysburg Veterans 1938! Hats galore!

[deanglen]

Found these on-line and was amazed at the variety of hats represented. The 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2-4, 1938. Even FDR was there, which I felt (no pun intended) I needed to include for RBH at least.

dean

 

[mikepara]

Pleased to be the 1st to say...WOW! nuff said.

 

[scotrace]

GREAT STUFF

Those are wonderful! Ah... to have been able to talk to them and get their stories...

I read an account of this reunion. There was a mock "Pickett's Charge," as the men hobbled with canes across the field. One of the old Confederates said that they attempted a Rebel Yell. "But it was much harder to do with a full belly empty gums."

 

[DOUGLAS]

Holy Cow!! These are really great photos Dean! I would take any and all of those hats. Fantastic. I would love to see a few of these upside down so I can see the insides.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Hi Deanglen,

Those photos are great! Thanks!

I have been to Gettysburg many, many times during the summer months. In July, it can be darned hot there. I'm amazed at how heavily those old fellows were dressed in 1938. One gentleman has on a shirt, a tie, a vest, a coat and a top coat. In July!

Maybe there is something to this global warming thing.

Atticus

 

[scotrace]

And they were mighty stinky.

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War ends with this reunion and some film taken there. Very cool pictures...KC

 

[DanielJones]

Great photos Dean! Very cool, thank you! Those fellas had some great character in their faces, they would make great subjects for pencil sketches. I may have to give it a shot and see what I come up with.
The one old fellas bear though just didn't look real. It looks like one of those hung on Santa beards.

Very cool nonetheless.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Cheers!

Dan

 

[besdor]

The way these men are pictured in those amazing photograhs is an accurate representation of the way people dressed 70 years ago . You never saw a man without a hat , even in the summer .All of this changed after WW 2 and thats when all of the hat companies started to close up .




Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Those are really amazing photos. It's amazing to think that the generation that fought the Civil War was still around then.

It also points out something I've metioned before, not everyone in the 30's had that clean-shaven Hollywood look. A great variety of facial hair there. And sure these guys were pretty old but I know these guys were not the exception.

 

[duggap]

Wow, just think, in 1938 it had been 73 years since the war ended. You were lucky that anyone attended that reunion. But it sure is great to see the old veterans and their hats. Nice post and thanks.:eusa_clap

 

[scotrace]

He's got a Horace Greeley neck beard goin on.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Darned old hippies in rummage sale duds! Sic Jamespowers on them!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

In all seriousness ... this photo puts a lump in my throat. They look like two boys, back again after a long and winding adulthood.

 

[deanglen]

The site I got them from would be easy to find on a google of 1938 Gettysburg Reunion. If I remember correctly the story says there were about 1800 veterans at the reunion, and there were shots of at least one who felt (no pun intended) the effects of the heat and was hospitalized. And I didn't copy all the shots that were there, or even the ones with Montana Peak campaign hats, that army representatives wore. It took some will power.

dean

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Absolutely amazing!!!...

When my dad was a kid in pre-WW I Philadelphia, he said all the parades were filled with Civil War vets and, of course, the younger fellas, the Spanish-American War lads!

This would have been in the years from 1901-1917, mind you!

-dixon cannon

P.S. Then the influenza came and they had to cancel parades for a while!

 

[Prairie Shade]

God in Heaven

It doesn't get any better. Lets hear a Rebel yell, if they have the breath.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

It doesn't get any better. Lets hear a Rebel yell, ...

Here you go! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToeY7MkCm0c

.

 

[epic610]

FDR...

looking pretty sharp in that apparent panama optimo. sure beats that beat up piece of crap "campaign hat" we usually see press photos. and by campaign i mean his political campaigns, nothing military about it.

 

[AlanC]

Great pics. After all those years, those days at Gettysburg defined their lives.