The Dobbs Diner...

[Brad Bowers]

Thanks. I would say that if not, it's very close to a Powder Blue. It has the slighest hint of grey in it. The photos don't accurately represent the color, at least on my monitor. The top two photos on my monitor are too grey, and the rest of the photos showing bits of felt are darker than the actual shade.

Brad

 

[hatophile]

Brad, that's a great looking Dobbs. I have one in the same style, only it's green with a reddish brown ribbon. I haven't posted it in a while. If you decide you want to sell that one after your research, let me know.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Brad, that's a great looking Dobbs. I have one in the same style, only it's green with a reddish brown ribbon. I haven't posted it in a while. If you decide you want to sell that one after your research, let me know.

Thanks. Most of my collection I'm hoping will eventually go to a museum, since I can provide much context for each hat for them. Some I may still keep for myself, but if I sell this one off, I'll let you know.

Brad

 

[alanfgag]

beautiful find, Brad... heckuva feather too.

 

[Joshbru3]

My god, that is an unbelievably beautiful hat. Probably one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. That NEEDS to go into a museum!! :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

Here is the ‘50s factory label with block size, for Josh J

Thanks so much, Brad!!! Its going into the thread right now.

 

[hatsRme]

I've shown this photo before of what appears to be a giant Dobbs Boater. I don't know when it was taken, but it was published in 1924.


I now have a bit more on the hat. Not much, but it's something. Here's another photo of the hat, with three men. The man on the right is John Herbert Radley. The hat is mostly a Boater with the exception of the extreme roll on the brim. Probably to help it keeps its shape, as that would take an enormous amount of gelatine to stiffen it.

John Herbert Radley emigrated from England in 1911. He found work at the Marshall Hat Factory in Falls River, MA. In 1913, the Foreman P.D. (most likely foreman of the pouncing department) sent him a postcard asking if he'd like to come work for C&K. Radley did, and by 1914 he was working his way up through the company. He even may have met his wife there, as she was working as an "Operator in a straw hat shop" in 1910. They were married by 1915. By 1940, Radley was foreman of the Ladies' hat department of Hat Corporation of America, earning $2,080 a year (and all of this with a 6th grade education). Sometime probably before 1946 he became ill and had to take some time off of work. While being assured that his position was secure, he was denied it when he returned after his recovery, which left him bitter towards the company. I don't know where he ended up at that point.

Photo and story courtesy of Radley's granddaughter, Elizabeth. No idea when it was taken, or if Mr. Radley helped make the hat. It's possible that it was a novelty everyone had their photo taken with.

Brad

Is it possible that this whole story was made up to cover an error? Perhaps the boater in the photos was left on a hat stretcher (Garve, etc.) too long?

P.S. That rainbow is absolutely astounding!

 

[rlk]

The popular Dobbs Rainbow

a couple of years back, I guess I didn't visit the Diner

 

[hatsRme]

a couple of years back, I guess I didn't visit the Diner

Also MAGNIFICENT! And who is the young fellow in the photo?

 

[Brad Bowers]

a couple of years back, I guess I didn't visit the Diner

Nice to see the fly. Is there a price under the sweatband, or possibly OPS information? I figure this twistline ribbon and binding design might have stayed around a little longer than usual, thanks to the strike cutting into production numbers. At the moment I can't find any ads from 1954-1957 for the Rainbow to check, and by 1958 they had gone to the two-tone style.

Brad

 

[rlk]

Nice to see the fly. Is there a price under the sweatband, or possibly OPS information? I figure this twistline ribbon and binding design might have stayed around a little longer than usual, thanks to the strike cutting into production numbers. At the moment I can't find any ads from 1954-1957 for the Rainbow to check, and by 1958 they had gone to the two-tone style.

Brad

I'll have to locate the actual hat then.

 

[gtdean48]

I'll have to locate the actual hat then.

Images of all the boxes in the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark just went thru my mind's eye.....

 

[rlk]

Dobbs Jolly Rounder

 

[Sprinkles]

Great hat and ads! I really love these vintage hat advertisements..."A personality builder!" -- Classic!

 

[alanfgag]

From Jolly Rounder to Gay Prince... those were happy times in the hat biz. Wonderful pulls from the archive, Robert.

 

[hatophile]

Robert you need to rough that hat up a bit to match the ads! Great hat.

 

[TomS]

That's a nice hat!

 

[Chepstow]

Robert, is cool, to have a hat and a lot of information to it! Great hat.

 

[bowlerman]

I like this Jolly Rounder!

 

[tonylumpkin]

Picked this up today at a yard sale.

 

[Alive'n'Amplified]

Vintage Brown Dobbs

My most recent purchase from ebay: a dark brown Dobbs fedora. Vintage '50s era. The felt is nice; not nearly as nice as my Dobbs FIFTEEN, TWENTY, or Saks 15/20 clone, but just what I was looking for in a vintage brown hat. Pliable and takes a dry crease with ease. The block (164, 5 1/2") is almost identical to my FIFTEEN (151, 5 1/2"), so I gave it a similar pinch and crease. One of the nicest things about this hat is the finely stitched over-welt edge; there is no trace of the stitches on the bottom of the brim. I have no idea how they managed to do this. I don't have a scale, but the hat weighs in pretty heavy.

When the hat first arrived it fit a little big, closer to a 7 3/8. I ended up wetting the sweatband and heating it a few times. I kept a close eye on it to make sure it didn't pucker or warp. Worked pretty good; still have a little more to go. I may still have it re-blocked to a LO like my FIFTEEN.

Here are the specs...

Model: N/A, 7 1/4+
Era: '50s
Orig. Price: $10
Color: Dark Brown
Ribbon: Dark Brown, 2 1/8"
Crown: 5 1/2" OC
Brim: 2 3/8"
Extras: Over-welt edge

Here are some pics...

No stitches on the bottom!!