Show Us Your Vintage Hat Store

[TheOldFashioned]

Brodt's...not quite a homburg?



Picture of original building posted by @alanfgag several years ago. That picture was of an advertised promo involving Babe Ruth in the 1920s.

Below is the factory/store which they moved into in the early 1930s:




Per "The American Hatter," Brodt's provided silk hats to several presidents:



Various ads:




Library of Congress records

 

[BobHufford]

This one took some effort. FaceBook and connection to the local library kicked up the only photo of the store that I could find. Thanks to Eric Spall, Local History Librarian at the Ralph W. Stark Heritage Center / Lebanon Public Library.

Dobbs Hanover Square.

Eric states: "The Jones & Benigar clothing store at 119 W. Main St., Lebanon, opened in 1924 as Crooks and Jones (operated by Claude Crooks and Stanley E. Jones), replacing the Max Eichman clothing store. According to "Jones' Men's Wear Closing After 50 Year Span," Lebanon Reporter, June 5, 1975, Crooks sold his share to Chris Pevler in 1939 after which the store's name changed to Jones & Pevler. Pevler then sold to Gerald Benigar in 1942. Stanley Jones was succeeded by his son, Stanley Holloman Jones, following the elder Stanley's death in 1962. Benigar died October 21, 1968. In 1973, Jones changed the store's name to Jones' Men's Wear. The store closed in 1975. As reasons for closing, Jones cited rising costs, driven by increases in oil prices, and a decline in patronage. 119 W. Main St. is now a part of the Key Bank Building. The store specialized in men's clothing, but for a while it also had general boy's wear and Boy Scout departments.

From 1933:

From 1964:

Today (demolished for the bank building):

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Cavanagh homburg from a Morville in Philadelphia:



This was the store located at 15th St and Walnut, which I believe was the flagship location:


Ad from later timeframe, but the fine print at the bottom lists approximately a dozen locations, with 15th & Walnut listed first:


Some sleuthing says the original building later housed a bank before being torn down. Now the location is a Verizon Store and Cheesecake Factory. (Thanks reference building in the background)

 

[Cornshucker77]

This doesn't show a hat store but the Omaha Stockyards use to have a western store near by ( I don't remember the name) where my dad bought me my first real hat. Dad sold cattle at the Stockyards and after we went to the store. I remember the sales clerk was an older man probably in his late 70's and he showed me how to properly put on a cowboy hat. I was probably about 7 -8 years old so that has stuck in my mind for more than 50 years now. Funny what things you remember.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

This doesn't show a hat store but the Omaha Stockyards use to have a western store near by ( I don't remember the name) where my dad bought me my first real hat. Dad sold cattle at the Stockyards and after we went to the store. I remember the sales clerk was an older man probably in his late 70's and he showed me how to properly put on a cowboy hat. I was probably about 7 -8 years old so that has stuck in my mind for more than 50 years now. Funny what things you remember.

Could it have been Wolf Bros Western Wear? They are a 4th generation family owned store @ 70th & Dodge now, but I don't know where their pervious locations may have been. Perhaps in the Stock Market?

Also not sure were the Kirkendall Boot Company in Omaha was located or if they even sold hats or Western wear. I've owned several pair of Kirkendall boots from the 1940's - 1950's.

The very things you're remembering are why I keep a copy of this old magazine cover.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I remember the sales clerk was an older man probably in his late 70's and he showed me how to properly put on a cowboy hat.

Had to come back to this: can you describe how he taught you?

 

[Cornshucker77]

Had to come back to this: can you describe how he taught you?

When I first put it on I grabbed it by the crown with one hand and stuck it on my head. He told me to put one hand on the front of the brim and one hand on the back of the brim. Then place the front of the hat on your head first and secondly pull the back brim down with the other hand. I will never forget it.

 

[Cornshucker77]

Could it have been Wolf Bros Western Wear? They are a 4th generation family owned store @ 70th & Dodge now, but I don't know where their pervious locations may have been. Perhaps in the Stock Market?

Also not sure were the Kirkendall Boot Company in Omaha was located or if they even sold hats or Western wear. I've owned several pair of Kirkendall boots from the 1940's - 1950's.

The very things you're remembering are why I keep a copy of this old magazine cover.

View attachment 153098

Could be Jack. I don't think I knew what the name was. I was only there a couple of times and I was pretty young. Love that magazine cover.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

When I first put it on I grabbed it by the crown with one hand and stuck it on my head. He told me to put one hand on the front of the brim and one hand on the back of the brim. Then place the front of the hat on your head first and secondly pull the back brim down with the other hand. I will never forget it.

You can actually learn to do it one-handed, placing your right hand on the back brim. Next time you watch Tommy Lee Jones in Lonesome Dove watch how he swings the stampede string to hang in the front or to hang in the back (depending on whether he is riding or not) & then sets his hat across his forehead one-handed, then pulls the brim down in the back. Very casual but deliberate. He said in an interview long ago that he learned it from the oldtimers & had to practice it to make it a natural fluid movement.

 

[Cornshucker77]

You can actually learn to do it one-handed, placing your right hand on the back brim. Next time you watch Tommy Lee Jones in Lonesome Dove watch how he swings the stampede string to hang in the front or to hang in the back (depending on whether he is riding or not) & then sets his hat across his forehead one-handed, then pulls the brim down in the back. Very casual but deliberate. He said in an interview long ago that he learned it from the oldtimers & had to practice it to make it a natural fluid movement.

I just watched LD again last week and now that you mention it I do recall how he did that. Yep.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I just watched LD again last week and now that you mention it I do recall how he did that. Yep.

He's good with the little details & pulls them off like he has been doing it his whole life. He uses the stampede string when riding but after dismounting he always removes his hat & swings it to hang in the back so as to be out of the way, then replaces his hat.

It's 73F here now but too windy to do much.

 

[Cornshucker77]

He's good with the little details & pulls them off like he has been doing it his whole life. He uses the stampede string when riding but after dismounting he always removes his hat & swings it to hang in the back so as to be out of the way, then replaces his hat.

It's 73F here now but too windy to do much.

He is excellent, and a pretty good horseman too. He and Duval, you can tell they have ridden for a while. LD the best Western made as far as I am concerned. About 10 here. LOL

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Here's an independent shop, John The Hatter, from the collection of @drmaxtejeda (notice Doc that I flipped you around to the correct side):




Ads found in local newspapers ranged from 30s-70s, so a successful business:


Once the eyes adjust you can make out "John" in white text on a black background. As a bonus, the "PLAZA" theater in the background can be seen in the Woody Allen film "Annie Hall."


The building still exists today and that particular address is a locksmith:

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Here's an independent shop, John The Hatter, from the collection of @drmaxtejeda (notice Doc that I flipped you around to the correct side):
View attachment 153221

View attachment 153220

Ads found in local newspapers ranged from 30s-70s, so a successful business:
View attachment 153223

Once the eyes adjust you can make out "John" in white text on a black background. As a bonus, the "PLAZA" theater in the background can be seen in the Woody Allen film "Annie Hall."
View attachment 153225

The building still exists today and that particular address is a locksmith:
View attachment 153222

Thank you for the flip, and the excellent research!

Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk

 

[drmaxtejeda]

He is excellent, and a pretty good horseman too. He and Duval, you can tell they have ridden for a while. LD the best Western made as far as I am concerned. About 10 here. LOL

It is far and away the best Western novel I've ever read, and my third favorite book.

Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk

 

[Cornshucker77]

It is far and away the best Western novel I've ever read, and my third favorite book.

Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk

I have to agree with you Max.

 

[Cornshucker77]

From what I could find online this store was opened in Reno in 1919 by George Parker. In 1966 George sold the store to his brother Harry. In 1970 or 71 the store was relocated to the Barengo Building on Sierra St in Reno. In 1998 Harry retired and the store closed in 1999. From what I have read John Wayne shopped at this store when he was in the area filming "The Shootist".

 

[TheOldFashioned]

The Champ B-17 received a lot of love yesterday, so I did some digging on Meyer Bros White House Stores:


The Meyer brothers left another retailer, Foleys, after a dispute and bought out the White House Stores in 1946. These were smaller department stores in the greater Houston area. They expanded to ten or so locations over the next decade and sold out in 1959, so not around for very long. This is the only ad I found referencing Champ:


Entrance at one of the original locations:


Present day this location is a discount bookstore:

 

[M Hatman]

B & F Toggery, Springfield Illinois......closed by 1995.

And my 50's Stetson Royal Deluxe from there...

AND my 1960's Royal Stetson from there.....

M

 

[jlee562]

M. Miller & Co. was founded in 1890 in Johnstown PA. The Miller family operated the store until 1968, at which point the Clark family took over and still operates the business today.

could only find one picture of the exterior, with the current owner.

The hat I have that was sold from this store is a very old Stetson derby hat.