Joshbru3
I'll Lock Up
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- 4,409
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- Chicago, IL
I have to add congratulations, Does the liner have an oilskin cover on it? I'm not totally sold on the idea of it being 20's yet...
Also on the note of it being beaver, highly unlikely, there is no evidence of UK hat manufacturers using beaver. All the evidence I've found on the Denton hat industry (where Dunn's where made) point to the fact they were rabbit with the lower quality ones using rabbit /wool mix.
I am doing more digging on Dunn at the moment, but the theory put forward about the G.A. Dunn & Co name being used before GA's death and then Dunn & Co. afterwards seems to be false as I've dug up adverts using the name Dunn & Co. from around 1915 and G.A. Dunn adverts from up to the 60's. Seems to have been a brand thing, the only G.A. Dunn hats you normally see are the higher quality ones.
I do agree that the style is very 1920's though (at least in terms of US fashions), but Britain's styles evolved in a different (often slower) manner.
Again congrats, looks great on you.
Thank You very much Billy! I really appreciate it. The liner does appear to have an orange-ish/yellow-ish oilskin liner. After some discussion on the lounge, I would agree that the hat is most likely a very fine rabbit (or other blend of fur felt) and not beaver at all. It was very interesting because the felt responds like beaver, but as Robert and several others have discussed, the certain type of bounce back or pliability could be attributed to the use of the certain type of shellac that was used at that time. After examining the hat more closely, I really think it dates to the mid to late 30's. It most definately has 20's styling, but as you said, styling evolved slower in the UK. After reading through some other threads and looking at some other Dunn's, I would agree with you that the hat isnt 20's. I would really like to find out more about G.A. Dunn & Co. Every Dunn hat that ive handled has been very good quality and the workmanship is always very nice. Was G.A. Dunn sort of like the "Stetson" of the UK?