Mad Hatter

Behold! The long promised post focused solely on some hats I've acquired in the recent months.

First up, a '40s/50's canvas "showerized" fedora. Looking through many old photo's and movies I've noticed that these fedora's started mainly for farmers and workers and by the '50s and '60s became quite a common accessory for the casual gentleman. I remember first seeing one like this in "The Long Long Trailer" (1954) and was quite intrigued by it. Breaths quite well too!

I love they way they used to round off the pinch on the crown in those days. I wonder why it went out of style.

Next we have a panama hat from the same period. While the brim is a little bent and the crown is a little stained and faded, the leather sweatband is in practically mint condition. I guess the original owner didn't care to store it properly.

Here we have my new old "knockabout" post-war Dobbs 5th Avenue Westward. The sweatband has dried out and some moths had themselves a high grade wool snack, but it holds it's new shape quite well and has plenty of life left in it.

                                                                         Now for some caps!
A real "Ivy" campus flat cap from the postwar period.  I'm not certain which college campus it was worn on. I was think either Princeton or Pratt, but with some research based on where the cap was manufactured I discovered the P might stand for either the defunct Parsons College of Fairfield or Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport.

                                   Saving the best for last! A NOS '30s-'40s 8 panel cap by Apex.

Any of you vintage cloth experts know what this kind of pattern is called? I've only seen it once before on a '70s polyester sport coat. 

 .95 cent price tag has me thinking this was one of the more affordable models in it's day, though the quality and craftsmanship far surpasses today's most expensive caps.

                    Well, now that my blog is caught up it's time for my current music obsession!
                     "Boogie Woogie Rag" (1952). Two of the greatest genres of music in one!

The Magical World of Disney World (And Universal Studios)

Hello all! I just returned from a wonderful trip to Orlando Florida to visit Disney World and Universal studios, and I must say, it's truly a magical place! While both parks were opened long after the Golden Era, they harken back to it in more ways than one! Walt Disney himself always had a passion for the bygone days. I remember hearing someone say that "he always had one foot in the past, and one in the future". Universal I was expecting be a roller coaster dominated park, but to my amazement it was it's own Disneyland.

                                        The hotel I stayed in. Love it's design both inside and out!

Being a huge fan of everything Art Deco, or "Streamline Moderne" to you purists, I was quite impressed with the bathroom design.

On the monorail to Magic Kingdom.The sea of cars, with the one almost vintage Cadillac parked on the bottom right.

   Standing in front of one of my idols, Walt Disney. Sporting my canvas '50s fedora, '50s shirt  and '50s slacks, modern wayfarer glasses, and '30s belted back linen jacket.

                                                The Haunted Mansion, filled with 999 wall to wall spooks.

                                               Main Street U.S.A. The street that never gets old!

The Main Street train station, filled with electronic entertainment of the pre-1930 era. Mutoscopes, coin operated mechanical arcade games and this 1927 Seeburg KT Nickelodeon, sadly out of order to my dismay.

                                No better way to travel anywhere, than on an old steam locomotive.

                                                           Now on to Universal Studios!
Stuck with the same era but went with an even more casual look. '50s Adam Milan weave straw hat, '50s Sport Jac shirt, Old Navy canvas pants and my new Bass saddle shoes. I walked in them 8+ hours a day for my entire trip and they held up wonderfully! Comfortable, light weight and VERY affordable, I highly reccommend them!

 First time I had ever sat on a motorcycle. It was the 3rd trip I made on it that day yet I still hadn't gone anywhere. (Those who like the movie Duck Soup should get the reference).

I'm more partial to cars though. Especially ones from the early 1940's. If only this '41                                                             Chevrolet Fleetmaster and '40 Plymouth were driveable!

Like Disneyworld, Universal had it's own back lot of turn of the century buildings. Made me feel right at home!

                                                   Somehow I actually did travel to 1958, sort of....

       Among the endless row of Hollywood-esque Art Deco buildings was this little tribute to Lucille Ball.

                           Stereoscopic slides? I guess another crazy fad of the 3D obsessed 1950's.

               

                  For all you photo buffs out there, is there any other storefront that looks like this?

                                                                        Now on to Epcot!

                                  Switched back to a '30s/'50s mashup. The famous "Soarin' " ride behind me.

              While Epcot has some great simulation rides, I spent most of the day touring Europe and Asia.

                                                                                                 Norway!

                                                                                                     France!
I actually had a conversation with one of the employee's entirely in French, looks like I retained more vocabulary than I thought!

                                       Italy! The land of my people! Standing with some family friends.

And of course, England. Yes, I'm leanin' on a lampost at the corner of the street, but only to take a photo! Though I doubt anyone there knew I was referencing George Formby. Someday I'd like to go to Blackpool to attend the George Formby Appreciation Society get together. Hopefully by that point I'll actually have a banjo-uke!

      Will get back to vintage finds in the next post, including the hats I keep promising to share! Hang tight!