Fedora Roots

Raven7dp · Post by **Raven7dp** » Mon May 21, 2012 6:08 pm

Since I've been doing a lot of genealogy work over the past two years, I've come across a lot of family photos. This one in particular struck my fancy as it's the only time I've seen my grandfather in a fedora. It is early 1948 and he was just released from the Navy in 1946 while serving in the Pacific during World War II. He's all of 28 years old in this picture. I love the jaunty tilt to the hat and the politically incorrect way of how he's holding a cigarette next to my uncle. I really do miss my Paw-Paw. Just thought I'd share this image with those of you who would appreciate this lid.

Thanks for lookin',

Jonathan

Sammy · Post by **Sammy** » Mon May 21, 2012 6:12 pm

That's a GREAT picture! It says so much! Looks straight out of a LIFE or TIME magazine.

Weston · Post by **Weston** » Mon May 21, 2012 9:33 pm

Wonderful picture! Thanks for sharing!

What a classy look! I can't imagine that Crocs, ball caps and bluetooth headsets will inspire the same mystique and nostalgia in the future.

Weston

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Mon May 21, 2012 11:57 pm

You know, for me, what makes this picture all that more special is the shadow of the person taking it. Great vintage picture -- it just takes you right into the time period, itself. Thanks for sharing this! W>

Post by **Indiana Jeff** » Tue May 22, 2012 3:09 am

Cool photo. Nice that it's a family picture you can cherish.

Weston wrote: I can't imagine that Crocs, ball caps and bluetooth headsets will inspire the same mystique and nostalgia in the future.
Weston

They will when everyone is just a brain floating in a jar living a vicarious life in cyberspace. "Remember when people used to have feet, and heads, and ears...ah those were the days."

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Raven7dp · Post by **Raven7dp** » Tue May 22, 2012 6:06 am

Another interesting note is the different angle of the hat that can be seen in the storefront window reflection. It gives you another look at the crown.

Jonathan

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Wed May 23, 2012 12:16 pm

What a great shot. That's when people knew how to dress. A kid today woul d ook at this picture and ask what the special occasion was. That's no special occasion, junior, that's every day!

I have a couple of pictures of my grandfather with my mom fromthe late 1930s. I'll have to find and post them. In fact, that might be a good idea for this thread, posting pics of your nattily dressed forebears.

Raven7dp · Post by **Raven7dp** » Wed May 23, 2012 1:02 pm

Indiana Bugs,

I concur with your idea. I would hope that everyone will submit a vintage photo of their ancestors wearing a chapeau of some sort. I look forward to all the pics.

Jonathan

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Sat May 26, 2012 9:31 am

Here's one of the pictures I have of my mom and her dad out on a regular plain ol' weekend. She was either two or three at at the time which puts the year at 1938 or 1939, right in the time of LC.

If I was to ever get a custom made hat, it would be an attempt at replicating what he wearing, but the details are so not there that I don't know if I would attempt it.

Raven7dp · Post by **Raven7dp** » Sat May 26, 2012 1:27 pm

Awesome contribution, Bugs. How far back does the fedora's origin span? It would be cool to see how early some of the photos are that include our favorite lid.

Jonathan

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Sat May 26, 2012 3:07 pm

Thanks, Raven. I don't know anything about the hat and I doubt my mom does, either. I can't see me asking her, 'Hey, ma, do you know what brand and model of hat Grandpa is wearing in these pictures?' and her saying, 'Oh of course. That's a Stetson blahblahblah.' lol

Anyway, here's another one of the two of them probably in 1941 or 1942. Both of these pictures, btw, were taken in the Bronx on or near Andrews Ave.

Raven7dp · Post by **Raven7dp** » Sat May 26, 2012 4:42 pm

Wow, that's an equally impressive photo, Bugs. I really love the three piece suit. Very classy. I'd love to know the color of the fedora and suit. But B&W is so timeless. Keep them coming.

Jonathan

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Sat May 26, 2012 5:24 pm

Your aren't kidding here! That is a cool looking hat! Quite impressive! Me likes

! W>

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Sat May 26, 2012 10:11 pm

Thanks, guys. Maybe I will ask my mom if she has any recollection of the colors of the suit(s) and/or hat.

I do have some more pictures of some distant (to me) relatives with hats on. The year is most likely fall of 1936. That's my mom in the carriage. My grandmother is on the left in the first picture. I don't know who the men are.

The next one is my grandfather on the left with one of his elders. Judging by what I think my gf's age is in the picture, and the year he was born, I estimate this picture was taken around 1930.

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Sat May 26, 2012 11:30 pm

Raven7dp wrote:Another interesting note is the different angle of the hat that can be seen in the storefront window reflection. It gives you another look at the crown.

Jonathan

I did not catch that on my first viewing. Good eye! It does tell us more about the hat! Thanks. W>

kwad · Post by **kwad** » Sun May 27, 2012 1:16 pm

Bugs, Those are some great photos!
I especially like the last one. The older gentleman on the right has it GOIN' ON!
The hat, the long coat, the little round glasses! Love it!

DarenHenryW · Post by **DarenHenryW** » Sun May 27, 2012 2:12 pm

This is a great thread! I hope that I can find some photos to add! (gonna have to go talk to my mom, see what she's got!). I hope that many many more people add pics to this thread. Pics of all of us wearing our lids in vintage clothes is great, but I think a thread such as this will give us all a lot of perspective and appreciation for what happened before!

Keep 'em coming!

Daren Henry W

Raven7dp · Post by **Raven7dp** » Mon May 28, 2012 8:52 pm

Here is an image of my grandfather's father in 1920 in the coal mining town of Dora, Alabama; wearing their Sunday best for a special photo session. My grandfather is the baby in the pic. I don't quite know what's up with the fedora my great grandfather is wearing. It has such a loose pinch and a two tone appearance on the crown. I love the wrap my great grandmother is wearing and the cravats on my great uncles. Still looking for more evidence of the fedora popping up in earlier photos in my family tree.

Jonathan

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Mon May 28, 2012 9:42 pm

Thanks, kwad. I sometimes fantasize that I have that outfit in my closet (in my size). I'd love to try it on. If I could afford bespoke I'd have it made for me.

cm289 · Post by **cm289** » Mon May 28, 2012 9:47 pm

Here's one of my granddad wearing his fedora and leather jacket sometime in the late 40s. It's the only picture I have of him wearing either a hat or a leather jacket. Looks like he shopped at the same tie store as Raven7dp's granddad.

Raven7dp · Post by **Raven7dp** » Mon May 28, 2012 10:24 pm

CM,

That is a spectacular photo of your grandfather. What a wonderful and unique ensemble. I do agree that both of our grandfathers had the same taste in ties. I just noticed that my grandmother's scarf seems to match my grandfather's tie. Maybe just coincedence.

Jonathan

nicktheguy · Post by **nicktheguy** » Mon May 28, 2012 10:51 pm

This is a fantastic thread.

Back in the day they used to do "sidewalk" shots - photographers would approach people on the street and take snaps of them then sell or give them the photos. That's what the first pic reminds me of. I am not sure if it is, but it was a popular trend - the original hipstamatic approach.
Loving these vintage pics!

Post by **Indiana Jeff** » Tue May 29, 2012 3:13 am

Thanks for sharing, all. Really great to see real family pictures. When my grandmother moved out of her house my parents went through boxes of old pictures with her. I remember seeing a number of my great/grandparents. Next time I visit I'm going to have to dig them out and see what's there.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Long John Tinfoil · Post by **Long John Tinfoil** » Tue May 29, 2012 8:22 am

One of the things I like about the pic of cm289's grandfather is that he's wearing what is in many ways a "historically accurate"

Indy outfit.

LJT

Joeyeah_right · Post by **Joeyeah_right** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:21 am

Long John Tinfoil wrote:One of the things I like about the pic of cm289's grandfather is that he's wearing what is in many ways a "historically accurate" Indy outfit.

LJT

Yeah! and the hat with that pinch is awesome!

Regards
Joe

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