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  1. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Phil Knapp's Other Job Since I am on a roll here I wanted to post the attached for Brad. He has been extremely helpful in teaching me how to navigate this site and I know he is a big C&K fan. Phil Knapp had hatting in his blood; but he also had golf. He and a group of investors bought a...
  2. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    More about the history of C&K Well, I keep thinking I'm running out of source material and I find more. These four pages are from "Norwalk-Being an historical account of that Connecticut town" published in 1979 by the Norwalk Historical Society- authored by Deborah Wing Ray and Gloria P...
  3. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Lady's Hats at C&K Well I remember seeing some; mostly I remember hat blocks of lady's hats that grandpa Phil Knapp had trucked over to his home in big wooden barrrels and stored in the basement for fireplace wood. He died in 1945 and my Mom, brother Pete and I lived with him, in his beautiful...
  4. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    JFK Initials There were a lot of JFK's before our president- my aunt Julie Ferry Knapp, for one but she never had a derby. Philip K Nelson
  5. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Name pronunciations Sorry to be so long in replying to your question but I was traveling the past two weeks in South America (the Brazilians and Argentinians are big on berets, for military, gaucho and the "relaxed" look). Crofut, as in the C&K, was pronounced "Crow-foot", with the accent on...
  7. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    The Baby Derby Brad, I always assumed it was something he had made as soon as he found out he had a grandson. That would have been like him;he was always having hats made for Pete and me- the one I remember best was a German student hat (drinking hat?) with a red and yellow band and a soft...
  8. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    More about my Grandfather, Philip Knapp While it is apparent that James H Knapp was the force behind the C&K story, it is equally true that his son Phil and John Cavanagh were the ones who brought this business to the top. They were both contemporaries and friends; they had both learned...
  9. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    A Special Order Hat This picture of Phil Knapp, holding his first grandson, my older brother George Peter (Pete) Nelson, Jr. was taken in April 1925. Perched on Pete's head (he was three months old) is a baby size derby hat made by C&K. The hat was made in 1905. You will notice that it is...
  10. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Knapp-Kunhardt connection Okay, this is getting away from hats and to my other love- Genealogy. James Knapp's daughter, Martha, married George Kuhnhardt of West Andover, MA. Her son was Philip Kuhnhardt Sr... Philip Kuhnhardt II,III and Peter are direct descendants and well known authors and TV...
  11. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    This about the limit on my info regarding JHK; after all he died in 1913, fifteen years before I was born. But my gram saved clippings and photos. James became her responsibility when his wife died, and she Mary Lydia (Pattison) Knapp was cowed by him; I know of no one else that she feared. Much...
  13. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Brad has the details to a "T". It was a nasty strike but nowhere near the one in 1885 that ended in the dynamiting of factory #2. I was living in Philadelphia in 1953-54 at the time, during my residency training, and my family kept me informed. The basic problem was that people weren't wearing...
  14. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Sadly no- except for a few newspaper clippings. I'll be posting them shortly Phil Nelson
  15. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Pearl vs Ivory I stand corrected. No pearl handled revolvers from now on. The only hat I had from the good old days is a very special derby that will turn up soon. PKN
  16. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Thanks a bunch Dreispitz posts a picture of MacArthur's hat that blew me away- the only closeup I had was from the Getty file. I was going to buy it but there registration site is a dog- I could find no was to describe my self, a retired OB-Gyn now botanical gardens photographer- so I gave up...
  17. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    I remember my grandfather, Phil Knapp, telling me about a special order from General Douglas MacArthur; the top generals of World War II were permitted to design their own, distinctive uniform. For Eisenhower it was the short fitted jacket; for Patton the silvered helmet, pistol belt with twin...
  19. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    Hubert Vos Nice to have some info about Vos. James Knapp died in 1913, and though not dated, it is signed on the reverse by Vos. So we know he was in Norwalk CT about 1910 PKN
  20. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    The Vest Took me several tries but I hope this is the picture of the vest PKN
  21. Philip K Nelson

    Crofut & Knapp Tales

    James Howard Knapp and his vest James Knapp was standing for a portrait by Hubert Vos- comissioned by Phil Knapp. As the work neared completion, Phil entered the room and after a brief inspection said that the vest was buttoned wrong, right over left. James admitted that he had spilled...
  22. Philip K Nelson

    The Bowler or Derby Hat

    My Photos Thanks for the tip Brad, I'll try to do better next time. Meanwhile if anyone wants a larger view of my images, they are welcome to e-mail me at pakanelson@comcast.net and I will reply with an attachment Philip K Nelson MD
  23. Philip K Nelson

    The Bowler or Derby Hat

    Pictures of James H Knapp I really appreciate your help- I visited the FAQ page and uploaded these three pictures (I hope). The portrait of JHK was by Hubert Vos, and was commissioned by his son Philip. It hangs in my dining room just as it did in Phil Knapp's home-it was done about 1900...

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