Show Us Your Vintage Hat Store

[BobHufford]

I don't have a hat from this place, but would love to have one. This is the "Jim Smith Clothier" store in 1907 here in my adopted hometown of Cabool, Missouri.

This entire block was destroyed by fire in 1911 and about the only thing surviving it was this sign that was in the entryway. I'm amazed that more than a century of owners and tenants have kept it around (and it somehow avoided a kid with a rock).

 

[DaveProc]

I don't have a hat from this place, but would love to have one. This is the "Jim Smith Clothier" store in 1907 here in my adopted hometown of Cabool, Missouri.

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This entire block was destroyed by fire in 1911 and about the only thing surviving it was this sign that was in the entryway. I'm amazed that more than a century of owners and tenants have kept it around (and it somehow avoided a kid with a rock).

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There was a Jim Smith Open Road clone for sale on Facebook market place and I missed buying it by minutes.

 

[Blare]

I don't have a hat from this place, but would love to have one. This is the "Jim Smith Clothier" store in 1907 here in my adopted hometown of Cabool, Missouri.

View attachment 322426

This entire block was destroyed by fire in 1911 and about the only thing surviving it was this sign that was in the entryway. I'm amazed that more than a century of owners and tenants have kept it around (and it somehow avoided a kid with a rock).

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How cool

 

[BobHufford]

Circa 1950s Knox Extra Quality Genuine Panama from The Emporium, Store for Men, San Francisco, California.

The store was in business for 100 years beginning in 1896.

1904:

After the 1906 earthquake and fire.

1938:

1950:

1950s:

1959:

1964:

1982:

 

[DaveProc]

Private label derby from Hurd's, circa 1925-1934:
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Hurd's opened in 1908 in Lansing, MI and expanded to an additional store in East Lansing in 1925:

Original location
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East Lansing location
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Mobile advertising
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The business folded in the late 1950s. The original location is now a Domino's:
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Hurd's 1940

 

[BobHufford]

1950s Whippet from Leavitt's Department Store in Houston, Missouri.

Right side on the near corner. Circa 1940.

1955. Thanks for the newspaper clip @DaveProc !

For sale for $400,000 if you're interested (I think it includes the block of buildings). https://www.jonhollowayproperties.c...86514/110-South-Grand-Avenue-Houston-MO-65483

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Time for a thread bump

Dobbs from The m.m. Cohn Co in Little Rock, AR:

Founded in 1874 by Polish immigrant Mark Mathias Cohn:

The first store was originally located in Arkadelphia before relocating to downtown Little Rock. After iterations on the 100 and 300 blocks, in the 1940s the store moved into a new 75,000-sqf five-story building:

At its height m.m. Cohn grew to a regional chain with 13 locations in three states. The company was bought out in 1989. By this point the Main St location had already closed. The building has changed hands a few times but never redeveloped. It can be yours for a cool $2.8 million:

The hat can be yours for the cost of shipping via the Pass the Hat Please thread.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Borsalino imported by "Brödrene Dobloug" in Oslo

"Brödrene Dobloug" or "Brødrene Dobloug" was a company in Oslo
founded in 1870 by the brothers Mikkel (1844-1913) and Jens Dobloug (1837-1891).
Read more here:
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brødrene_Dobloug
https://oslobyleksikon.no/index.php/Brødrene_Dobloug
https://www.doblougsbryggeri.no/historien/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikkel_Dobloug_(politician)

1940

1953

 

[BobHufford]

Borsolino from The Men's Store in the Joseph Horne Department Store, Pittsburgh, PA.

The store began in 1849 and was taken over in 1984 -- dropping the Horne name.

The flagship store was built at Penn Avenue and Stanwix Street in 1892. Expansions were added in 1897 and 1922.

1910:

1924:

1970s:

The Men's Store (Men’s Furnishings • Men’s Gifts • Men’s Dress Furnishings • Men’s Gifts • Men’s Sport Furnishings • Men’s Street Floor Sportswear • Men’s Bar) was on the street level.

1936 flood:

Nowadays.

 

[Frunobulax]

Borsolino from The Men's Store in the Joseph Horne Department Store, Pittsburgh, PA.

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The store began in 1849 and was taken over in 1984 -- dropping the Horne name.

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The flagship store was built at Penn Avenue and Stanwix Street in 1892. Expansions were added in 1897 and 1922.

1910:

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1924:

1970s:

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The Men's Store (Men’s Furnishings • Men’s Gifts • Men’s Dress Furnishings • Men’s Gifts • Men’s Sport Furnishings • Men’s Street Floor Sportswear • Men’s Bar) was on the street level.

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1936 flood:

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Nowadays.

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They had a bar?
In the department store?
That's awesome.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Emery, Bird, Thayer (1846 - 1968)
Kansas City, MO

In doing some research for another thread I turned up some detailed info on what was to become Emery, Bird, Thayer. The business opened in 1846 as Coates and Bullene, then ran through several other name combinations before settling on Emery, Bird, Thayer. The company took its name from investors William E. Emery, Joseph Taylor Bird Sr. and William B. Thayer.

It occupied two other locations before the downtown store was built in 1890 on 11th Street between Walnut and Grand. Said to house two full acres these pics were taken in 1901 after being open for eleven yrs.

By 1968 Emery, Bird, Thayer had opened two suburban retail locations which were sold to Macy's Department Stores before the main store closed for good on August 7th. The massive bldg would stand empty before destruction started in 1972.

 

[BobHufford]

1940s Stetson "The Stetson Special" from Dickinson's Men's Wear in either Pontiac or Birmingham, Michigan.

Pontiac location in 1956:

That location today:

The Birmingham location in the Wabeek Building:

That location today:

 

[BobHufford]

1940s Byer-Rolnick Resistol "Pace-setter" from K. Wolens in Kilgore, Texas.

K Wolens Department Stores: The stores that eventually numbered 50 in small towns around Texas, were founded in 1898 by Jay’s Kalman Wolens.

“Mr. K,” as he was fondly known, had immigrated to Corsicana, Texas from Poland, via Chicago, with his wife, Ida, and four children. After borrowing money from a member of the local Jewish community, he opened a small clothing store. After achieving some success in the business, Wolens bought a small parcel of land outside of town in 1914. This land turned into a winning lottery ticket when oil was discovered on it in 1923. Wolens used the proceeds from his oil windfall to expand his K. Wolens stores to towns across the state. At its peak, the K. Wolens chain had 63 locations.

The stores were sold in 1976.

The Kilgore location of the K. Wolens store was depicted in this painting from 1939. The town was covered in oil derricks at this point in time.

The store in the 1940s.

That location today:

Thanks @DaveProc for the newspaper snip ...

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

"Coronation" Fedora from Norway in a medium grey
with matching ribbon and overwelt brim
sold by "Johan Harbitz & Co."; "Torvalmenning 1" in Bergen/Norway

Johan Harbitz & Co A/S, Torgallmenningen 1

Marcus er Spesialsamlingene til Universitetsbiblioteket i Bergen sin portal til digitaliserte manuskript, fotografi, diplomer og mye mer. Oppkalt etter Marcus Selmer, Bergens første fotograf.

marcus.uib.no

I think they date from the same time - probabely early 60s.

"Johan Harbitz & Co." at Torvalmenning 1 in Bergen:
the old and the new building at the same corner of the street

 

[StoryPNW]

I did a little digging on Perry's Dry Goods in Gardnerville Nevada, where my Open Road was purchased. Originally a shoe store that dates back to the late 1800's Mr. Yparraguirre bought the store in the late 1940's and ran it for almost 50 years.

Mr. Yparraguirre:

And today:

 

[jlee562]

Circa 1950s Knox Extra Quality Genuine Panama from The Emporium, Store for Men, San Francisco, California.

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The store was in business for 100 years beginning in 1896.

1904:

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After the 1906 earthquake and fire.

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1938:

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1950:

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1950s:

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1959:

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1964:

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1982:



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Minor 2022 addendum:

If anybody ever visits the city, this building is still here (sorta) and now houses a mall, anchored by Bloomingdales. The facade was restored to its 1908 appearance. The original building was gutted, but they retained the original rotunda and glass dome. The old Emporium logo (as seen on the sweatband above) is still used....for the food court.

 

[steur]

I have collected a few Sools hats by now and had always thought it was just one store. In its heyday there were actually 18 Sools stores in Paris alone. Pictures of them are hard to find though. Here are a few.

The French rugby team posing with their new caps in front of a Sools store.

Saving inventory after a fire in one of the stores.

The main (?) Sools store.

One of their iconic adverts by A.M. Cassandre.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Silverwoods men’s store in Los Angeles, Cal. is where this hat was sold sometime around 1952. I imagine the big neon sign was a big deal back then.

too bad the sweatband on this super swell melusine is extra crispy.
Nevertheless, I love this fuzzy fried fedora.
I guess the “Gay Paree” name was only a name for this hat, for this store?

 

[jlee562]

Silverwoods men’s store in Los Angeles, Cal. is where this hat was sold sometime around 1952. I imagine the big neon sign was a big deal back then. View attachment 418677 View attachment 418674 View attachment 418673 too bad the sweatband on this super swell melusine is extra crispy.
Nevertheless, I love this fuzzy fried fedora.
I guess the “Gay Paree” name was only a name for this hat, for this store?

That's a really great hat. One of the remaining hats on my want list is the Capt. Kirk fedora, and this one has similar vibes.

Anyhow, the model name is interesting. For some reason the phonetic spelling is really amusing to me. Modern Stetson does retailer exclusive hats, which is what I would think this one is. If so, a very rare hat indeed!

 

[Randall Renshaw]

That's a really great hat. One of the remaining hats on my want list is the Capt. Kirk fedora, and this one has similar vibes.

Anyhow, the model name is interesting. For some reason the phonetic spelling is really amusing to me. Modern Stetson does retailer exclusive hats, which is what I would think this one is. If so, a very rare hat indeed!

Similar vibes, yes.

Except James T. look like he be hookin up hoes on his flip.

Maybe the Star Fleet commander can pimp you one of each, Mr. Lee!