My Grandfathers 1949 Fedora

bish · Post by **bish** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:33 am

We've been going through some old family photos and came across these pictures of my Mother, her sister and my Grandfather from 1949. I know everyone wore hats back then but the resemblance to Indy's hat was just to much not to post. It's got that nice high crown and wide brim. Unfortunately neither my Grandfather or Grandmother are alive to tell me anything about the hat, but boy do I wish we still had it in the family

Click on the images for a larger view.

- bish

Post by **Indiana Jeff** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:16 am

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. My parents have a couple boxes of old pictures from my grandparents I keep saying I'm going to dig through "one of these days."

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

BoilermakerJones · Post by **BoilermakerJones** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:36 am

Very nice!

I have a gray Stetson that belonged to my father. I think it must be from about the time I was born because it was a larger size than most of his and he was mostly bald by the mid 60's and probably buying smaller hats. I also saw a detailed picture of the Kennedy inauguration and saw several hats that looked almost identical in it.

Its too bad we lose some of these old family connections. I only wish I could fit in his bowler, but at least it fit my nephew, so it stayed in the family and he is big on hats. They have never gone out of style in my family. My father wore a fedora or hamburg until he died.

Matt

Hollowpond · Post by **Hollowpond** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:28 am

Nice!!! I love posts like these, and wish there were more of them. The fedora I wear the most is one that I had made to look like the one my grandfather always wore.
LOVE pics like these!

BoilermakerJones · Post by **BoilermakerJones** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:50 am

I just clicked on the pictures for a closer look.

I was amazed to see what looks like the same asymmetric shape to that hat as my father's Stetson. The left side in the picture seems to curl slightly differently than the right. Mine has the same drop off between the snap brim and the side. They are not the same hat, mine has a much wider ribbon, but somehow they are taking the same shape.

Matt

jkdbuck76 · Post by **jkdbuck76** » Sun Dec 30, 2012 6:31 pm

Nice hat! I have a picture of my great grandfather and he was ALWAYS wearing some kind of a lid---even
back in the military (he was stationed in Texas during the flu epidemic back in 1917 or something).

If I find it, I'll post it. The fact is: men wore good lids back in the day. Sad that it all stopped.

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:47 am

BoilermakerJones wrote:I was amazed to see what looks like the same asymmetric shape to that hat as my father's Stetson. The left side in the picture seems to curl slightly differently than the right. Mine has the same drop off between the snap brim and the side. They are not the same hat, mine has a much wider ribbon, but somehow they are taking the same shape.

Matt

In my experience, I've found that ALL hats originally made in a round shape that are 'force fit' over a long oval or oval shaped head tend to make the brims warp in that way. All mine do the exactly the same thing when that situation is the case.

Regards! Michaelson

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:01 pm

Sounds like the hat might have been ever so slightly creased off center. Very easy to do when creasing by hand and that both of you are not exactly the same oval shape that the hat is made. Most likely the hat was made regular oval and you guys are slight long or round oval or some variation.

BoilermakerJones · Post by **BoilermakerJones** » Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:46 pm

Thanks for the info Michaelson and John. I do stretch it out a bit on the long side. I am used to wearing it that way and I love being able to wear something that was my dad's.

Matt

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:43 am

It is unfortunate that people do not have the foresight or desire to hold onto things that could be so valuable, even if to one person in the future.

When I was a kid, my little brother wore an old fedora from one of our grandfathers. It was much too big on him, and he wore it pulled down (no creases) as it balanced on his head. No one could have figured that someone, meaning me, today would have killed for that hat, or any of the others that I knew my grandfather wore in his youth.

These two photos were taken in between 1938 and 1942, judging by my mom's size and approximate ages in each photo.

I'm not sure that it's the same hat in each picture. I don't even know what size hat my grandpa wore. He passed in early 1984. I remember being at my grandma's shortly afterwards. She offered me his stuff before she got rid of it. She couldn't be reminded of him every time she saw his things. He had no fedoras such as we like to wear. Raiders was a part of my life for a few years by that time, so I was hoping to find a fedora stashed away somewhere. I did take a couple of things just as reminders.

How do you know what anyone in the future will want? People who attempt to save everything are called hoarders or pack rats.

Post by **Michaelson** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:00 pm

True, but when it comes to things like clothes, it's a rare thing when these items can still be 'used' by the children.

My Dad was over 6 feet 2 inches tall, and yet his hat size was 6 3/4. I am just shy of that height, and yet my head size is 7 3/8.

My Dad wore a 42R coat....me a 44R.

These items are great as momentos, but it's the fortunate few who can actually USE clothing items left from their fathers. I have several and would give my eyeteeth to use them....they're just too small for my frame. I got my Dad's height, but my frame size from my Mom's side of the family.

Regards! Michaelson

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 3:40 pm

I hear you. I would kill for one of my stepfathers hats but I have a buddy from the fire department. He's a member here and went with me at the 2008 summit. I think it was 2008,

must be getting old. Great story to share with you guys and I'm very jealous. His mom came to me to clean up her fathers hat who has past away along time ago. I cleaned it up and she gave it to her son with a photos of her dads wearing it. This was a x-mas gift. The great thing about it. They were the exact same size. Lucky SOG. Well a couple years go by and his father gives him his fathers hat that he wore daily also had a few photos of him wearing it and the kicker is my friend Dusty can wear that hat as well. How in the world does this kid get so lucky that both his grandfathers were his exact same size and he is handed both hats in very good shape. I'm so jealous.

But I'm happy for him.

Post by **Michaelson** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 5:11 pm

That's why I keep bringing up my Dad's J. C. Penny Marathon looking just like one of your standard offerings, John. One of these days....

Regards! M

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 6:46 pm

Send me photos. Ill let you know how close I could get.

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:25 am

Unfortunately, I have no photos of my Dad wearing his Marathon.

Thanks.

Regards! Michaelson

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 2:54 pm

I'm sorry to hear that.