I'll add them to the list, Robert. I watched the TV series with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, which was great fun.
There is a lot out there, but not all of it is published in English.
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Books About 20th Century Men's Hats?
- Thread starter stevensonbruce
- Start date
Pierre Toromanoff
Chapeau! The Ultimate Guide to Men's Hats
Hardcover : 192 pages
Teneues (February 15, 2021)
The book has text in both German and English. A decent read with nice photography, but far from the "ultimate guide" it pretends to be. More like a novice's introduction to different hatstyles with some common knowledge history added. Still in print, but I wouldn't put it high on the list.
Chapeau! The Ultimate Guide to Men's Hats
Hardcover : 192 pages
Teneues (February 15, 2021)
The book has text in both German and English. A decent read with nice photography, but far from the "ultimate guide" it pretends to be. More like a novice's introduction to different hatstyles with some common knowledge history added. Still in print, but I wouldn't put it high on the list.
- Messages
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Yes, it seems that there is quite a bit from the European front.
Hat, origins, language. style
Drake Stutesman
Hardcover : 240 pages
Reaktion Books; 1st edition (December 11, 2019)
This is a bit of an oddball. Stutesman is knowledgeable enough and the book is beautifully designed, but the emphasis is very much on the fashion and design point of view (the cover is a bit of a giveaway really) and the author seems a bit full of himself at times. Plenty of nice photos and illustrations though.
Still in print, so easy enough to find.
Drake Stutesman
Hardcover : 240 pages
Reaktion Books; 1st edition (December 11, 2019)
This is a bit of an oddball. Stutesman is knowledgeable enough and the book is beautifully designed, but the emphasis is very much on the fashion and design point of view (the cover is a bit of a giveaway really) and the author seems a bit full of himself at times. Plenty of nice photos and illustrations though.
Still in print, so easy enough to find.
Tonak 1799-2019
Radek Polách
Radek Polách 2019
Hardcover 386 pages
As a hat book and reference work about Hückel and Tonak it doesn't get any better than this. Our own Steve @mayserwegener contributed to this work and it shows. Thoroughly researched it contains a vast amount of information, photos and illustrations. I got my copy straight from Tonak and I think that's the only way to get one if they are still available. Well worth giving that a try though, because there aren't many hat books out there as good as this one, even if it is about one factory. Highly recommended.
Radek Polách
Radek Polách 2019
Hardcover 386 pages
As a hat book and reference work about Hückel and Tonak it doesn't get any better than this. Our own Steve @mayserwegener contributed to this work and it shows. Thoroughly researched it contains a vast amount of information, photos and illustrations. I got my copy straight from Tonak and I think that's the only way to get one if they are still available. Well worth giving that a try though, because there aren't many hat books out there as good as this one, even if it is about one factory. Highly recommended.
Omaggio al cappello 1857-1957
Mario Carrieri, Giuseppe Trevisani & Massimo Vignelli (Authors)
without the dustjacket
Hardcover (pages?)
January 1, 1957
This book celebrates 100 years of Borsalino but it's title "a tribute to the hat" covers the contents quite well. It's heavily illustrated with paintings, etchings and photos to illustrate the history of the hat. The second part focuses more on Borsalino itself and it's the portraits of the selected workers of the factory that is best part. I believe there are both English and Italian editions of this book. It was never reprinted and to find a copy, especially with the dustjacket still there, will set you back quite a bit. Any Borsalino fan would and should want a copy though. Highly recommended.
Mario Carrieri, Giuseppe Trevisani & Massimo Vignelli (Authors)
without the dustjacket
Hardcover (pages?)
January 1, 1957
This book celebrates 100 years of Borsalino but it's title "a tribute to the hat" covers the contents quite well. It's heavily illustrated with paintings, etchings and photos to illustrate the history of the hat. The second part focuses more on Borsalino itself and it's the portraits of the selected workers of the factory that is best part. I believe there are both English and Italian editions of this book. It was never reprinted and to find a copy, especially with the dustjacket still there, will set you back quite a bit. Any Borsalino fan would and should want a copy though. Highly recommended.
The history of the hat
Michael Harrison
Hardcover : 188 pages
Herbert Jenkins; First Edition (1 Jan. 1960)
A small book, but for someone looking for a reference work about every historical kind of hat imaginable this is a must have. The book shows its age, because it's just illustrated with these little pendrawings you see on the cover here, but the advantage to that is that each type of hat throughout history gets equal importance and attention.
Long out of print it might take a bit of searching, but you should be able to find a copy somewhere at a halfway decent price. Highly recommended.
Michael Harrison
Hardcover : 188 pages
Herbert Jenkins; First Edition (1 Jan. 1960)
A small book, but for someone looking for a reference work about every historical kind of hat imaginable this is a must have. The book shows its age, because it's just illustrated with these little pendrawings you see on the cover here, but the advantage to that is that each type of hat throughout history gets equal importance and attention.
Long out of print it might take a bit of searching, but you should be able to find a copy somewhere at a halfway decent price. Highly recommended.
Denton and the Archaeology of the Felt Hatting Industry
Michael Nevell, Brian Grimsditch, Ivan Hradi (Authors)
Paperback 105 pages
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council – 1 Jan. 2007
An excellent read; well researched and loads of pictures and illustrations. For us hat collectors it's not nearly large or comprehensive enough, but it's a small miracle that such a niche book exists at all. The hat manufacturers of the greater Manchester area in England were either located in Stockport (and can be found in Penny McKnight's book) or Denton. And in the latter case they can be found in this little book. Out of print and difficult to find, but worth a search. Highly recommended.
Maybe you could search for this book while you're at it:
Looks like a good read as well.
Michael Nevell, Brian Grimsditch, Ivan Hradi (Authors)
Paperback 105 pages
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council – 1 Jan. 2007
An excellent read; well researched and loads of pictures and illustrations. For us hat collectors it's not nearly large or comprehensive enough, but it's a small miracle that such a niche book exists at all. The hat manufacturers of the greater Manchester area in England were either located in Stockport (and can be found in Penny McKnight's book) or Denton. And in the latter case they can be found in this little book. Out of print and difficult to find, but worth a search. Highly recommended.
Maybe you could search for this book while you're at it:
Looks like a good read as well.
Hats
Clair Hughes
Bloomsbury Visual Arts (June 1, 2017)
Hardcover : 288 pages
This is a beautiful book and well worth getting. It's certainly not all about millinery as the cover blurb suggests, but it covers the whole range of men's and women's hats and their history. A beautiful book with a large number of photos and illustrations. Still in print and again: well worth getting a copy. Highly recommended.
Clair Hughes
Bloomsbury Visual Arts (June 1, 2017)
Hardcover : 288 pages
This is a beautiful book and well worth getting. It's certainly not all about millinery as the cover blurb suggests, but it covers the whole range of men's and women's hats and their history. A beautiful book with a large number of photos and illustrations. Still in print and again: well worth getting a copy. Highly recommended.
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L'EREDITÀ DEI CAPPELLAI
MEMORIA, MITO E REALTÀ DI UN'AVVENTURA DEL LAVORO
Giuseppe Maria Longoni
Paperback 192 pages
SilvanaEditoriale 2003
The book was published as part of an exposition of the same name, "the heritage of hatters - an adventure in labour" which ran from the 5th of may until the 13th of july 2003 in Monza, Italy. The book is in Italian, so you'll get the most out of it if you can read that language. It's heavily illustrated though, so maybe worth picking up for that part alone. The book focuses on the social circumstances of the industrialisation of hatting from the mid 19th century onwards and in particular the emergence of the Italian hat manufacturers and the organisation of their workers in unions, more or less trailblazing for other industries.
I've made a rough translation of this book in English (relying heavily on google translate- thank you very much). If you're interested, send me PM. No longer in print, but you should be able to find a copy somewhere. Highly recommended (if you can read Italian).
MEMORIA, MITO E REALTÀ DI UN'AVVENTURA DEL LAVORO
Giuseppe Maria Longoni
Paperback 192 pages
SilvanaEditoriale 2003
The book was published as part of an exposition of the same name, "the heritage of hatters - an adventure in labour" which ran from the 5th of may until the 13th of july 2003 in Monza, Italy. The book is in Italian, so you'll get the most out of it if you can read that language. It's heavily illustrated though, so maybe worth picking up for that part alone. The book focuses on the social circumstances of the industrialisation of hatting from the mid 19th century onwards and in particular the emergence of the Italian hat manufacturers and the organisation of their workers in unions, more or less trailblazing for other industries.
I've made a rough translation of this book in English (relying heavily on google translate- thank you very much). If you're interested, send me PM. No longer in print, but you should be able to find a copy somewhere. Highly recommended (if you can read Italian).
L'Arte dei cappellai
Giuseppe Maria Longoni
Paperback: 408 pages
Archivio del Lavoro 2001
This is a bit of a tough one, because I have it, but haven't read it. It's very text heavy with 375 of the 408 pages consisting of just text and it is in Italian. The last 30 pages or so are statistics and photos. The author is the same as the previous book and the subject matter of this book is basically the same from what I can gather, but far more comprehensive. I'm sure there is a ton of interesting information in there, but I'd have to learn Italian first.
Long out of print, but if you can read Italian you can still find copies at a decent price.
Giuseppe Maria Longoni
Paperback: 408 pages
Archivio del Lavoro 2001
This is a bit of a tough one, because I have it, but haven't read it. It's very text heavy with 375 of the 408 pages consisting of just text and it is in Italian. The last 30 pages or so are statistics and photos. The author is the same as the previous book and the subject matter of this book is basically the same from what I can gather, but far more comprehensive. I'm sure there is a ton of interesting information in there, but I'd have to learn Italian first.
Long out of print, but if you can read Italian you can still find copies at a decent price.
Daniele Tanto
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,291
- Location
- Verona - Italia
I agree with Stefan on the advice, very difficult to fully implement, to read Longoni's book dedicated to Italian hatters.
They were a large workforce within the Italian economy from the early nineteenth century to the seventies of the last century. Organized in trade unions and very independent from other categories of workers, as representatives of a complete cycle of work, they have distinguished themselves for the union battles and for a widespread organization and mutual aid. I repeat that they were an extremely numerous category of workers and typically made up of both sexes, a condition not so common in Italy in those years. In this regard, in recent years I bought some volumes of the monthly "Il Cappello" which was the version tamed by fascism of the "Gazzetta dei Cappellai", a free and warlike organ of the hatters, understood as a workforce and not as a master's power.
In the volumes of "Il Cappello" about twenty that I own, dated around the end of the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s, in addition to the advertising of the producers that you occasionally see on some thread,
there were articles on the fashion of hats,
indications on customs problems and related import taxes, quality and price of raw materials, as well as technical articles, very interesting and extremely rich in news on the construction of hats, machinery and every technical aspect of the processes.
I often wonder, when I look at these centenary pages, how many works have been lost.
Clearly the volumes are in Italian and very technical, but extremely explanatory on the Italian hat which was the world's largest producer and exporter in the golden years of hats.
They were a large workforce within the Italian economy from the early nineteenth century to the seventies of the last century. Organized in trade unions and very independent from other categories of workers, as representatives of a complete cycle of work, they have distinguished themselves for the union battles and for a widespread organization and mutual aid. I repeat that they were an extremely numerous category of workers and typically made up of both sexes, a condition not so common in Italy in those years. In this regard, in recent years I bought some volumes of the monthly "Il Cappello" which was the version tamed by fascism of the "Gazzetta dei Cappellai", a free and warlike organ of the hatters, understood as a workforce and not as a master's power.
In the volumes of "Il Cappello" about twenty that I own, dated around the end of the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s, in addition to the advertising of the producers that you occasionally see on some thread,
there were articles on the fashion of hats,
indications on customs problems and related import taxes, quality and price of raw materials, as well as technical articles, very interesting and extremely rich in news on the construction of hats, machinery and every technical aspect of the processes.
I often wonder, when I look at these centenary pages, how many works have been lost.
Clearly the volumes are in Italian and very technical, but extremely explanatory on the Italian hat which was the world's largest producer and exporter in the golden years of hats.
Beautiful volumes, Daniele! I imagine they are extremely difficult to find and don't exist in digital form, unlike the American Hatter publication which was digitized by Google.
Hats: Status, Style and Glamour
Colin McDowell
Hardcover: 224 pages
Rizzoli; 1st Edition (October 15, 1992)
This is a nice and large volume with plenty of illustrations and photos. The layout and chapters are somewhat haphazard though and the emphasis is mostly on women's hats and design. Certainly not bad, but I wouldn't put it on top of the list. It's easy enough to still find a copy.
Colin McDowell
Hardcover: 224 pages
Rizzoli; 1st Edition (October 15, 1992)
This is a nice and large volume with plenty of illustrations and photos. The layout and chapters are somewhat haphazard though and the emphasis is mostly on women's hats and design. Certainly not bad, but I wouldn't put it on top of the list. It's easy enough to still find a copy.
Daniele Tanto
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,291
- Location
- Verona - Italia
Yes Stefan, they are difficult to find. I encountered some others volumes, but they are too much expensive even if I offered a "nice" amount of euros for the whole lot.
They are the most deep view in the Italian hatters way of work and life.
The top hat: An illustrated history of its styling and manufacture
Debbie Henderson
Paperback – 77 pages
The Wild Goose Press (January 1, 2000)
Like the other books by Henderson this is well researched, well written and richly illustrated. I know I have this book somewhere, if only I knew where I put it
It is out of print though. Copies can still be found, but asking prices are ridiculous. Still: highly recommended.
Debbie Henderson
Paperback – 77 pages
The Wild Goose Press (January 1, 2000)
Like the other books by Henderson this is well researched, well written and richly illustrated. I know I have this book somewhere, if only I knew where I put it
It is out of print though. Copies can still be found, but asking prices are ridiculous. Still: highly recommended.
Stetson Hats & the John B. Stetson Company: 1865-1970
Jeffrey B Snyder (Author)
Hardcover: 192 pages
(Schiffer Book with Values) – August 8, 1997
I'm sure many of the lounge members are familiar with this book. It's the best Stetson hat book around, which is unfortunately not saying much as there aren't many books around on the subject. The pictures are excellent with most of the hats getting a full page display. There's plenty of information about the Stetson history as well. The book is far from comprehensive though and seems strangely random in a way, as if the author just concentrated on the hats from his own collection. Still: highly recommended. No longer in print, but easy enough to pick up a copy.
Jeffrey B Snyder (Author)
Hardcover: 192 pages
(Schiffer Book with Values) – August 8, 1997
I'm sure many of the lounge members are familiar with this book. It's the best Stetson hat book around, which is unfortunately not saying much as there aren't many books around on the subject. The pictures are excellent with most of the hats getting a full page display. There's plenty of information about the Stetson history as well. The book is far from comprehensive though and seems strangely random in a way, as if the author just concentrated on the hats from his own collection. Still: highly recommended. No longer in print, but easy enough to pick up a copy.
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Ceremoniel derer Huthmacher
Freidrich Friese (author)
Hardcover 100 pages
Leipzig 1710
facsimile reprint:
Edition Libri rari, Th. Schäfer Verlag: 1983
If you want to take a deep dive into hatmaking history this is the one for you. This small book comes as a facsimile reprint in its own little slipcase. Both the fact it's in (old) German and the original typeface make it quite a difficult read. It is fascinating though because it recounts what it would take to learn to be a hatter through the various ranks, with all its obligations, duties and expected moral attitudes right up to a master hatmaker. Not for everyone, but recommended nonetheless. Not that easy to find, but there are still copies to be found.
Freidrich Friese (author)
Hardcover 100 pages
Leipzig 1710
facsimile reprint:
Edition Libri rari, Th. Schäfer Verlag: 1983
If you want to take a deep dive into hatmaking history this is the one for you. This small book comes as a facsimile reprint in its own little slipcase. Both the fact it's in (old) German and the original typeface make it quite a difficult read. It is fascinating though because it recounts what it would take to learn to be a hatter through the various ranks, with all its obligations, duties and expected moral attitudes right up to a master hatmaker. Not for everyone, but recommended nonetheless. Not that easy to find, but there are still copies to be found.
The Hat Industry of Luton and its Buildings (Informed Conservation)
Katie Carmichael, David McOmish, David Grech (Author)
Paperback: 104 pages
Historic England 30 maart 2014
It's exactly what it says on the tin. Very well researched and some nice pictures, but for anyone outside of Luton of limited interest to be honest. The interesting part is the general information about Luton's position in the straw hat industry, which takes up about half of the book. Luton seems to have quite an active historical society, because there have been several books published about Luton's hat industry. This one is quite niche though, so not for everyone. Copies can still be found for those interested.
Katie Carmichael, David McOmish, David Grech (Author)
Paperback: 104 pages
Historic England 30 maart 2014
It's exactly what it says on the tin. Very well researched and some nice pictures, but for anyone outside of Luton of limited interest to be honest. The interesting part is the general information about Luton's position in the straw hat industry, which takes up about half of the book. Luton seems to have quite an active historical society, because there have been several books published about Luton's hat industry. This one is quite niche though, so not for everyone. Copies can still be found for those interested.
Strawopolis: Luton Transformed 1840-1876
Stephen Bunker
paperback: 290 pages
(Publications Bedfordshire Hist Rec Soc, Band 78) Paperback – 1 januari 1999
Even better research, but even more niche than the previous book and without the photos or illustrations. So quite a struggle to get through to be honest. Can't exactly recommend this one. But if you really want you can easily find a copy.
Stephen Bunker
paperback: 290 pages
(Publications Bedfordshire Hist Rec Soc, Band 78) Paperback – 1 januari 1999
Even better research, but even more niche than the previous book and without the photos or illustrations. So quite a struggle to get through to be honest. Can't exactly recommend this one. But if you really want you can easily find a copy.
