Info about G.R. Dunn & Co. hat

[Dreispitz]

Dieter, That is a real beauty! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap Interesting ventilation system too! Is this a new find?

Hi Steve, I actually bought it sometime, last year. I think, I did not jet post it, even though it is one of my favorites.

 

[mayserwegener]

Dieter, Thanks for showing it!

Here is a standard Dunn & Co. Bowler that I just sold.

 

[The Elizans]

Charity Shop tip off

One of my musician friends 'tipped me off' about this hat for a fiver (£5) in a local charity shop; I nipped out to snatch it! It is a size 7 1/4 too, which is a good size, a little large for me. I might sell if anyone want its? how odd it should show up mid-way through a brand new Dunn & Co thread! lets keep this one going; could we make a Dunn & Co gallery? I could fill it!!!

Using our new theory, I'd date it around early 1940's....

 

[The Elizans]

An unusual Dunn

"The Stadium" Model circa late 1930's. constructed from a normal felt hat body but with concentric stitching and without a sweat band reed; an early crushable felt hat, ideal for the sports spectator hence "The Stadium". keeps its shape even after being stuffed in a pocket! I'm sure there was a similar American hat shown in a different thread somewhere? Anyone know where?

 

[mayserwegener]

:eusa_clap Great Homburg but "The Stadium" is really something! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap I think ScottF has something similar but would have to search around.

I found ScottF's 1930s Schoble Spinner.

 

[Doc Average]

These are all beauties - The Perfectus and Stadium especially!

lets keep this one going; could we make a Dunn & Co gallery? I could fill it!!!

Let's not forget this one, which rlk posted over in the new hats thread. Dunn & Co were conservative???...

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=1065980&postcount=10326

 

[The Elizans]

These are all beauties - The Perfectus and Stadium especially!



Let's not forget this one, which rlk posted over in the new hats thread. Dunn & Co were conservative???...

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=1065980&postcount=10326

Wow! I wonder where he got that one? I was going to bid on a very similar hat in the UK that was on ebay.co.uk, maybe 6 months ago? I have restricted my collecting habit pretty much to hats I will actually wear! That "10 Gallon" style homburg is incredible!!!

 

[Doc Average]

I'm puzzled as to the intended market for that one. I've tried to convince myself it was for the ex-pat colonial/safari crowd, but then I look at it and think "nah!". I've seen photos of huntin', shootin', fishin' types wearing sombrero and campaign style felts, but I've never seen anything quite like this among them. I can't get away from the fact that it is just what it appears to be: a '20s/'30s style Dude Western hat. It really looks like a costume piece, but I've never heard of them supplying fancy dress or theatrical costumes. Also, it appears to be good quality. Would a costume piece be made to the high standards of their high street products? And why, since I don't think they actually manufactured their own hats by the 20s/30's, would they have their branding on a costume piece?

Could it have been a novelty promotional piece intended for the American market perhaps? [huh]

 

[Nick D]

My Dunn homburg

My Dunn bowler (dark photo, sorry)

 

[rlk]

I'm puzzled as to the intended market for that one. I've tried to convince myself it was for the ex-pat colonial/safari crowd, but then I look at it and think "nah!". I've seen photos of huntin', shootin', fishin' types wearing sombrero and campaign style felts, but I've never seen anything quite like this among them. I can't get away from the fact that it is just what it appears to be: a '20s/'30s style Dude Western hat. It really looks like a costume piece, but I've never heard of them supplying fancy dress or theatrical costumes. Also, it appears to be good quality. Would a costume piece be made to the high standards of their high street products? And why, since I don't think they actually manufactured their own hats by the 20s/30's, would they have their branding on a costume piece?

Could it have been a novelty promotional piece intended for the American market perhaps? [huh]

Frayed box-bow. Sweatband is nearly 2-1/4" wide. Brim is 4-3/4" without flattening the curl. A little over 7" open crown, 5-1/2" at front with crease. Finely finished felt--enough for two hats.
Not a novelty piece. Here's US President Coolidge and Party at Mt Rushmore in 1927

Don't know how many Brits ever wore these though.

 

[Doc Average]

Not a novelty piece. Here's US President Coolidge and Party at Mt Rushmore in 1927

Don't know how many Brits ever wore these though.

Yep, that's the puzzler. I wonder if it was meant for visiting Americans, or the Canadian market? I can't see it at the Royal Enclosure at Ascot somehow.

That's a great photo by the way. I wonder if yours was maybe a special one off custom hat made to order for a special occasion? Whatever - I could speculate about this forever... It's a great hat anyway!

 

[Nick D]

After reading the info posted by the Elizans, I checked my bowler and homburg. The homburg has G.A. Dunn & Co on the sweat and liner, the bowler has Dunn & Co on the liner and G.A. Dunn & Co sweat.

 

[billyspew]

Frayed box-bow. Sweatband is nearly 2-1/4" wide. Brim is 4-3/4" without flattening the curl. A little over 7" open crown, 5-1/2" at front with crease. Finely finished felt--enough for two hats.
Not a novelty piece. Here's US President Coolidge and Party at Mt Rushmore in 1927

Don't know how many Brits ever wore these though.

I too have a Dunn western hat. Must try and pull it out and take a look at it.

Mine is no where near as spectacular as yours however and that is really very nice.

Regards,

Bill

 

[Doc Average]

I too have a Dunn western hat. Must try and pull it out and take a look at it.

Mine is no where near as spectacular as yours however and that is really very nice.

Regards,

Bill

Interesting! I'd love to see pics of it. It would be great to see some contemporary marketing for these - a catalogue or the like.

 

[billyspew]

Interesting! I'd love to see pics of it. It would be great to see some contemporary marketing for these - a catalogue or the like.

Will try and capture some pictures of it. It's actually still under my desk here at work 12 months after receiving it. I just had a look and the original looking box it came in has a date of 14/1/70 and it's liner says Dunn & Co. It is pristine, looks like it's never been worn.
So this could help with some of the dating if the liner is similar to the normal hat line.

 

[CircuitRider]

Yep, that's the puzzler. I wonder if it was meant for visiting Americans, or the Canadian market? I can't see it at the Royal Enclosure at Ascot somehow.

That's a great photo by the way. I wonder if yours was maybe a special one off custom hat made to order for a special occasion? Whatever - I could speculate about this forever... It's a great hat anyway!

Now that's a hat!!!

 

[Joshbru3]

Dunn & CO Fedora "The Polo"

I just got this hat from EBAY UK today. Its really neat. Its a 50's/60's Dunn & Co fedora. The color is a really nice dark brown with grey undertones and the coolest thing about this hat is the high brim flange which is reminiscent of 1930's hats. The felt is extremely soft and very finely finished. The hat is very light in weight and most likely is a "featherweight" type hat. There is no liner, only a label which states the company name and the country of origin. The sweatband is still very soft and pliable. It has a 2 inch brim. Im not really wearing 2 inch brims anymore, because I mostly wear 2 1/8 - 2 3/4 inch brims now. If anyone is interested in the hat, Im accepting offers for trades or for purchase. The specs are as follows:

Open Crown: 5 1/4 inches
Brim: 2 inches
Size: 7 (UK) which equals a 7 1/8 (US) (About 22 1/4 inches, so a bigger US 7 or a small US 7/18)
Ribbon Width: 1 inch wide
Front Pinch (shaped): 4 1/4 inches high
Back (shaped): 4 1/4 inches high

 

[Joshbru3]

Dunn & CO Fedora "The Polo" (cont)

 

[Clockwork Fan]

Does anyone know the chronology of brim widths for Dunn & Co. Bowlers? I suspect they tended to follow the widths of ties and lapels, but that's only a theory. I'm asking because I'm trying to ascertain the era in which the bowler Malcolm McDowell wore in "A Clockwork Orange" was produced.

I do know that they had multiple bowlers, as after the film Kubrick kept one, McDowell kept one (which he's since given away to a charity auction) and one was also kept by Philip Castle to use as a model for getting the brim curve just right and which he still possesses.

I'm thinking it's very possible, in the course of gathering props and costumes, that they had four or five of them made and the very narrow brim on his hat was one of the models Dunn was making and had available in 1970.

I'm not sure when the industry switched from silk to polyester ribbons, necessitating a change to that ugly pencil curl all modern bowlers seem afflicted with, but it's probably post 1970.

Which now leads me to the Dunn & Co. bowler I just purchased. It's pristine and unworn (until me), but it has no liner. Just a sticker:

The hat itself has what must have started out as a 2" brim, but being curled knocked it back to about 1.85 or 47mm. McDowell's looks to be slightly narrower than that.

Here is a picture of my bowler.

If anyone can answer as to when mine might have been made and if McDowell's could have been made in that style as late as 1970, I would very much appreciate it.

 

[herci]

bowler hat, G A DUNN & CO, who's got info?

Hi people, I'm new here.
Just bought a house and a bowler. Because I've always been fascinated by them.
Just for decoration. I'm a woman and I would wear one too...but nobody wears one over here.



I bought this beauty on ebay. It looks much better than on the photo.
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180689540350&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:BE:1123
I was wondering if anyone can date this one?
Inside and on the leather (rim) it says G.A. DUNN. (piccadily)
Thanks