Toppers Unite

[batankyu]

Hello, I purchased a vintage gibus (or chapeau claque) in mint conditionat the garage sale of the Carrot Festival in Créances on Sat 10 Aug 2024 for 60 euros. The only inscription inside is a logo with text "MODE DE PARIS". It came with a plain carboard hat box with the inscription of the hat shop "GAUQUELIN" in Coutances.

I had doubts about the box being the orignal box matching the hat as the hat does not mentions the shop and the hat box does not mention the maker, but I found online a black silk top hat "MODE DE PARIS" that was sold with the same cardboard box, so it might be the original box after all.

Top view.

Front View.

Rear view.

Left side view.

Right side view.

Bottom view.

Bottom view, logo with inscription "MODE DE PARIS".

Bottom rear view with bow knot.

Bottom front view.

Top view, collapsed.

Front view, collapsed.

Rear view, collapsed.

Left side view, collapsed.

Right side view, collapsed.

Bottom view, collapsed.

On new owner.

Plain cardboard box follows in next post...

 

[batankyu]

I'm posting the plain cardboard hat box of my gibus "MODE DE PARIS" in a separate post, due to the limit of 20 pictures per post.

I found online the pictures a black silk top hat "MODE DE PARIS" sold with a similar box at the link below
https://auctionet.com/en/2816106-top-hat-mode-de-paris-1900s
so I assume the box is the original one.

New owner with hat and box (strings hidden by the lid here) .

Hat box, top view with lid.

Hat box, side view with tag of the hat shop "GRANDE CHAPELLERIE GAUQUELIN", "24, rue Tancrède COUTANCES".

Hat box, side view with the seam of cardboard.

Hat box, front or rear view (?).

Hat box, rear or front view (?).

Hat box, bottom view, with inscription "2".
No clue what this number means.

Hat box, top view without lid.
I assume the extra string inside are there to secure the hat if it is in collapsed state.

Hat box lid, top view.

Hat box lid, bottom view.

 

[batankyu]

On a side note, I got this very damaged "Henry Heath" gibus for free the same day I purchased the brown plush top hat at the garage sale in Gavray, Normandie, France on Thu 8 Aug 2024 as the seller wanted to throw it to thrash in collapsed state. It's only when I got back home that I discovered the mechanism still worked and saw the hat in its non-collapsed state. It's not wearable except for comedy effect, but I'm still curious for a date range. It also motivated me to purchase the "Mode de Paris" gibus in much better condition the next week.

Top view.

Front view.

Left side view.

Rear view.

Right side view.

Bottom view.

Inner lining, with inscription "HENRY HEATH LIMITED", "105 TO 109, OXFORD ST LONDON, W.", "ESTABLISHED IN THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE IV 1822", "BY SPECIAL APPOINTMENT TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING".

On new owner.

On new owner, backward for comedy effect, with most damages visible.

 

[Steve1857]

A nice find especially with the box.

Congrats.

 

[Steve1857]

On a side note, I got this very damaged "Henry Heath" gibus for free the same day I purchased the brown plush top hat at the garage sale in Gavray, Normandie, France on Thu 8 Aug 2024 as the seller wanted to throw it to thrash in collapsed state. It's only when I got back home that I discovered the mechanism still worked and saw the hat in its non-collapsed state. It's not wearable except for comedy effect, but I'm still curious for a date range. It also motivated me to purchase the "Mode de Paris" gibus in much better condition the next week.

Inner lining, with inscription "HENRY HEATH LIMITED", "105 TO 109, OXFORD ST LONDON, W.", "ESTABLISHED IN THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE IV 1822", "BY SPECIAL APPOINTMENT TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING".

Well done for saving this Henry Heath Gibus from its trash can fate.

Despite its distressed look, it was well worth rescuing.

 

[steur]

On a side note, I got this very damaged "Henry Heath" gibus for free the same day I purchased the brown plush top hat at the garage sale in Gavray, Normandie, France on Thu 8 Aug 2024 as the seller wanted to throw it to thrash in collapsed state. It's only when I got back home that I discovered the mechanism still worked and saw the hat in its non-collapsed state. It's not wearable except for comedy effect, but I'm still curious for a date range. It also motivated me to purchase the "Mode de Paris" gibus in much better condition the next week.

Top view.

Front view.

Left side view.

Rear view.

Right side view.

Bottom view.

Inner lining, with inscription "HENRY HEATH LIMITED", "105 TO 109, OXFORD ST LONDON, W.", "ESTABLISHED IN THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE IV 1822", "BY SPECIAL APPOINTMENT TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING".

On new owner.

On new owner, backward for comedy effect, with most damages visible.

A very cool find and I think it's not beyond redemption. Someone skilled enough could probably get that grosgrain silk attached again to the top.

 

[steur]

Prima Qualität tophat in a size 56 with the brim at 5cm and the crown at a low 12,5cm. Weighs 201 grams. Some wear on the underside of the brim which was done with grosgrain and not silk pluche and also some wear alon the rim on the top of the crown. I got this along with the Battersby bowler at a low price and it didn't fit me, even though it is my size.
So I decided to bake it! Steve @Steve1857 has had some hands on experience with this and it hasn't scarred him for life, so I decided this was the candidate. Pre-heated the oven at 80 degrees Celsius and then placed the hat inside on a cloth towel. Baked it for another 6 minutes at the same tempereature. When I took it out it was perfectly moldable for about a minute or so. Placed it on my head and shaped it (take care with controlling the brim). Worked like a charm and it now fits me like a custom.