United Hatters of North America label?

[Lorne]

Hello All,

Would I be correct in assuming that a hat with a United Hatters of North America union label in it would have to be made prior to 1909?

I was reading an article by our own "hatted professor", and that would seem to be the case.

I've got a bowler (pictures to follow) with a union label in it and I'm trying to date it.


Lorne

 

[fedoracentric]

OK, so here is what I found on the Internet...


The National Trade Association of Hat Finishers of the United States of America went from 1854 until 1896 then went defunct.

The National Silk and Fur Hat Finishers Association, U.S.A. went from 1868 to 1896 and then merged with the United Hatters of North America.

The United Hatters of North America went from 1854 until 1934 when it became The United Hatters Cap and Millinery Workers International Union.

The United Hatters Cap and Millinery Workers International Union started in 1934 and went on until sometime in the 1990s.

 

[Lorne]

I found that, but I also found an article that said manufacters refused to put the label into hats after 1909, which caused an unsucessful strike by the Union....

 

[fedoracentric]

I've seen plenty of hats from later than 1909 that have the union labels. Seems to me what you were reading was a union fight that didn't last long. These sort of things happen all the time in the labor movement. It wasn't until the 1950s that the hatter's union started really losing its pull.

 

[Lorne]

Nuts...

I've got this bowler I'm trying to date. Its got no manufacter's label and I'm trying to date it.

 

[Brad Bowers]

The 1909 strike was an industry-wide strike, and one of the worst in hatting history for the unions. After it was over, large manufacturers like Schoble & Co., Crofut & Knapp, "and many others" (my union source doesn't elaborate which other manufacturers) kicked the union to the curb and so there are some hats that will not have the label after 1909. But, as fedoracentric pointed out, there were still plenty of manufacturers that allowed the union and thus you will see the label after 1909 in some brands. Wish I had a definitive list for you, but I don't.

Brad

 

[Lorne]

Without knowing who made my hat (no label), a list isn't going to do me much good.