HarpPlayerGene
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,682
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- North Central Florida
That seems to be one dandy vintage hat! And rare, I would think, since I've seen scads of Stetsons and have not heard of this prior to your post. What a winner!!
jimmy the lid said:... I'll keep combing through vintage ads to see whether or not it turns up somewhere!
Cheers,
JtL
What do you make of Lefty's Avenue? It seems to be a totally different style with the same name as your hat and Douglas's hat. I realize you guys may have covered this ground previously, but your insight is appreciated.
So, really, the best I can come up with is that Stetson borrowed a previous model designation and re-invented it for the 40's.
Cheers,
JtL
I agree with this conclusion. Stetson also reused the "Eagle" name. They had an "Eagle" in the early 1940s and then again in the early 1960s. The 60s model wasn't a re-issue, they just dredged up an old name and dusted it off for use on a new hat.
Stetson has had so many models over the years. Some names were used for decades, some for only one year. I guess it isn't surprising they might reuse a name once in a while.
I agree, this seems to be the most compelling hypothesis. JtL, thanks for your thoughts on the topic. We should consider calling you JtLPhD.
And Billy, thanks for posting the ads as well!
JtL, thanks for your thoughts on the topic. We should consider calling you JtLPhD.
It's a good question. Although there are differences between the Douglas, ScottF and JtL "Avenues", they are at least fairly related, style-wise. Lefty's "Avenue", on the other hand is a completely different animal, and certainly pre-dates the others.
I can only come up with two explanations. The first is that, at some point toward the end of the 30's, the model designation "Avenue" was taken from the previous derby incarnation and applied to a fedora-style lid.
The other explanation is that "The Avenue" is not a model designation at all. After seeing all of these lids, I wondered whether "The Avenue" might be shorthand for designating a Stetson as being sold in Stetson's New York retail store. I don't think this theory holds up though, in light of the fact that Douglas's lid is labeled "The Avenue" and was sold at the Stetson Philly factory store. Newspaper ads previously posted by Rusty, actually did refer to "The Avenue" as a model name, associated with the more recent fedora-style.
So, really, the best I can come up with is that Stetson borrowed a previous model designation and re-invented it for the 40's.
Cheers,
JtL
Nice looking.1915-early 1920s Exposition Medal