tweedydon
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WONDERFUL 1930s TWEED HAT BY HERBERT JOHNSON OF NEW BOND STREET, LONDON.
More information on Herbert Johnson can be found on my Facebook page, WaterhollowTweed!
BY APPOINTMENT TO HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI
More information on Herbert Johnson can be found on my Facebook page, WaterhollowTweed!
BY APPOINTMENT TO HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI
Interior circumference: c. 22 2/3"
This is absolutely wonderful! Made by Herbert Johnson--one of the two best hatters in England--this is a classic tweed bucket hat in a beautiful gingery country tweed. Absolutely beautifully made--as you'd expect from a hat from Herbert Johnson, who have supplied tweed hats to Kings, Czars or Russia (when they existed...) and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany--this is designed to fold in half for ease of carrying when not being worn. It is a testament to the quality of the tweed used that this hat has NO tearing or splitting--or, indeed, any indication of damage at all--along the fold.
This tweed hat also has a VERY illustrious history! The interior label proudly proclaims that Herbert Johnson are Hatters by appointment to "H. M. The King"--given the coat of arms that accompanies this this refers to King George VI, which dates this hat to between 1936 and 1952. And since Herbert Johnson was rather pre-occupied with making hats for the military from late 1939 this hat likely dates from the early years of the reign of George VI.
Given its age this hat is in incredible condition. The external tweed is in Very Good condition, with no pulls or blemishes at all--although it is clearly a vintage hat. The interior label is intact, as is the lining--although this does have some minor discoloration from use, as you'd expect for a hat from before the War! There are two frayed areas around the sweatband front and back--but these could easily be repaired.
Made when the Empire was still covering a third of the globe this hat could have been worn by its owner during the Blitz, the Battle of Britain, D-Day, and the eventual surrender of the Axis powers. It then saw the independence of India, the ending of rationing, the founding of the Commonwealth, and the ushering in of a very different Britain with the Beatles first LP and the Swinging Sixties. Then the Oil Crisis, Britain joining the Common Market (later the EU), financial deregulation in the 1980s, into the rather desperate "Cool Brittania" of the 1990s... and now Brexit.
Wear this hat, and you'll be wearing almost the last 100 years of British history. Or, you could simply keep it as a momento of those tumultuous times, enjoying it for its history even if it doesn't fit you.
Asking just $35 or offer, boxed, shipped, and insured in the USA. A bargain for a hat of this quality with this provenance!
