KarlCrow
One Too Many
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WowYesterday I promised you a hat in the "what hat are you waiting for" thread. Here it is. And it is a bit of a special one I must say. This one came with the box as it were, because it was the box I bought and didn't really ask about the hat (thinking it was a women's hat). What I got was more than a nice surprise. Borsalino in black size 58. Raw edge brim at 10cm and (now) open crown at 15cm (!). A Borsalino Western as it were. Even larger in dimensions than the Barbisio Cowboy I have posted before. On the auction pictures and when it arrived the hat had a telescope crown, but for brushing and steaming it I took that out and took the pictures with an open crown. The mark of the old crease can still be seen (I think it was in there for a long long time). The box is original to the hat.
Now to the provenance of the hat (and a bit of speculation). The hat was sold by Henri Beer of Dordrecht (hatter and outfitter). The shop opened in 1931 and moved to address on the box in 1940, so the hat is from after that date. The shop still exists today (selling menswear). Judging by the box and label I would say 1940's therefore. It was sent to Rector vd Heyden of Huize St Jacobs in Dordrecht, a hospital and monastery. At some point however he must have sold it or given it to a mr. C. Bousardt, because I found a small note in between the sweatband that the hat was property of that person. There is a link between the two, because mr Bousardt was in fact Cees Bousardt (1926-2007) of Kerkelijke Kunst Ateliers C. Bousardt (Ecclesiastical Art Gallery), so I'm guessing they knew each other through the church.
So what would a rector of a hospital and monastery do in the forties do with a western hat? My guess is that it may have been ordered as a priests' hat (black, wide brim, low crown) and mr. van der Heyden got (way) more than he bargained for in regards to the crown. It would explain why he lowered the crown with the telescope crease. On the other hand it could be he just loved Tom Mix movies.
Need two posts for this.
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