Hat Ads

[Brad Bowers]

Got this today, it's a cardboard standup display. Never heard of 'Longley Hats' before but the art is very similar to that in the 'Knapp-Felt' ads shown in this thread. Think the two companies are related?

Nice display, and very similar to Anderson's work for C&K! Might possibly be his work. But I can tell you that there is no connection between Longley and C&K.

Happily, the model for this ad -- Bakers44 -- is now a member of the Lounge...

I thought I recognized him!

Brad

 

[Cigarband]

Snagged this off OFAS today.

 

[thunderw21]

Nice display, and very similar to Anderson's work for C&K! Might possibly be his work. But I can tell you that there is no connection between Longley and C&K...

Brad

Thanks for the info.

 

[buler]

Similiar ad

Snagged this off OFAS today.

Just got this postcard in the mail yesterday from ebay. Postmark is 1908.

B

 

[duggap]

Boy, took long enough to get there.lol

 

[Mario]

Here are some ads I collected mainly from the web. I bet a lot of them have shown up here before, but since we suffer a lot from the broken link disease, here they come anyway.

Oops: I didn't even notice that I have obviously passed the 100 posts mark...


Dunlap, 1941

Lee, 1951

Stetson - The Squire, 1949, featuring David Niven

Stetson - The Whippet, 1945

Stetson - The Playboy, 1945

Stetson - The Open Road, 1950

Keep it Under Your Stetson, 1940s

Men's Straw Hats, 1939

 

[Mario]

Some more

Dobbs, 1961

Bet You Do Better In A Hat

Knox

Mossant, 1935(?)

Borsalino, 1923

And remember: It's the hat...!

 

[Djupis]

I really smiled at this one, would be interesting to see if they could actually provide any data

 

[jimmy the lid]

I really smiled at this one...

I know -- I HATE when this happens...

Mario -- thanks for the posts. Great stuff.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Mario]

I know -- I HATE when this happens...

One can have problems...

 

[jimmy the lid]

One can have problems...

And don't even get me started on the effects of wearing a Stetson Casual...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Mario]

And don't even get me started on the effects of wearing a Stetson Casual...

Well, yes...judging by the look of her, I can imagine what's in there...

 

[Mario]

Here is another batch of ads:

The Sirocco, 1939

Mallory, February 20, 1939

Lee, 1939

Elina, France, 1929

Dobbs - Gay Cavalier, April 1, 1940

Stetson - Ray Millard

Stetson - The Whippet, December 6, 1954

Stetson - The Stetsonian, 1922

Stetson - The Ambassador, 1951

Stetson - The Durand, The Glenmar, The Frazer, 1937

 

[Brad Bowers]

Here's the 1908 Two-page Edward Penfield ad for Knapp-Felt hats. It was too large for my scanner, so I had to scan it in four sections and piece it together. It's also been reduced in size to fit on the screen.

A few things to note in this ad:

First, note the several different styles and colors going on here. At this time, most men owned only two hats - a straw hat for summer, and a Derby for the rest of the year. C&K was pushing hard to get the business away from that model, by introducing seasonal styles and colors. Many of these styles would easily work over the next few decades, albeit with a few changes now and then. Note the back bow on the third hat from the right. The porkpies have really low crowns.

Second, they were really pushing the soft hat as an alternative. Soft hat sales had been on the decline among all hat companies until about 1906/1907. Some expected them to die out altogether. Crofut & Knapp anticipated a growing market, though, and expanded their factory in 1906 to include a soft hat department. This foresight paid off handsomely, in no small part to advertising like this pushing the soft hat, and aimed squarely at young men, who were the first to adopt new styles.

Brad

 

[thunderw21]

Very interesting, Brad.

Notice the 'odd' brim curls and snaps on some of the soft hats. Wasn't just a mid-century or Hollywood thing.

Second, they were really pushing the soft hat as an alternative. Soft hat sales had been on the decline among all hat companies until about 1906/1907. Some expected them to die out altogether. Crofut & Knapp anticipated a growing market, though, and expanded their factory in 1906 to include a soft hat department. This foresight paid off handsomely, in no small part to advertising like this pushing the soft hat, and aimed squarely at young men, who were the first to adopt new styles.

Quite right, and some were still forseeing the death of the soft hat as late as 1929! A smart move by Knapp-Felt to push the soft hat while others backed away.

 

[buler]

Schoble

Here is a great Schoble ink blotter. Artist is J. Conrad Linke.

B

 

[Garrett]

Cervo

I thought this was worthy of a post

Cappellificio Cervo ad

 

[Brad Bowers]

Won this postcard today on eBay. It shows a great shot of blocking a C&K Derby, which was quite different from blocking a soft felt hat. The shellacked and dyed hat body is heated to softed it, and then placed, upside down in an iron mold. A rubber bladder is placed inside the hat and then pressurized with cold water, which forms the body of the Derby against the iron mold.

No idea when the postcard is from, but probably sometime in the first two decades of the century.

These cards were apparently used by C&K's retailers to send to their customers. The card is addressed to someone, but not mailed, as there is no stamp or postmark. The handwritten message on the back, from E. R. Hopkins & Co., says, "For your new hat we recommend a Knapp-Felt -- The best is none too good for you."

Brad

 

[Akubra]

They did a good job of modernizing the brand right out of existence.
I prefer the upscale approach. It makes better sense and the ads are very tastefuly done---as opposed to the modern Stetson advertising:

:kick:

AGREED !!! The above Oklahoma meth peddler look is doing nothing for me!

Stetson could of picked a better image to portray their western market with.

You can't beat classic

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gC8LH4z9dSg/SaRBy3SSaYI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/yTrT-dOy1Y4/s1600-h/stetson300.jpg

.http://static.squidoo.com/resize/sq...7709062photo_1244063025rhinestone-cowgirl.jpg

Or this one http://www.cowboycrew.com/jennifer lopez cowgirl.jpg

Hey, maybe that is why I own only 2 Stestons and 3 Akubras??

 

[Mario]

A few more ads, this time Mallory and Knox.

Knox, 1948

Knox, 1947

Mallory, March 1942

Mallory, February 1942

Mallory, February 1947

Mallory, October 1942

Mallory, 1956

Mallory, Date unknown