The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[steur]

Part II

 

[steur]

Part III

Many many thanks to Jonathan @TheOldFashioned once again. Now all you need to do is find all of these just before Christmas.

 

[Steve1857]

Part III

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Many many thanks to Jonathan @TheOldFashioned once again. Now all you need to do is find all of these just before Christmas.

Wow, Stefan. Just wow and wow again! Well done and congrats to you and Jonathan for bringing this wonderful item to a place it so deserves to belong.

Can't wait to see more of it.

 

[steur]

Wow, Stefan. Just wow and wow again! Well done and congrats to you and Jonathan for bringing this wonderful item to a place it so deserves to belong.

Can't wait to see more of it.

Thank you, Steve. Very satisfying to find an item like this. I'm afraid this is it though; there are no more pages than I've posted here.

 

[Blare]

Every once in a while you stumble upon something special. I cannot thank our fellow lounger Jonathan @TheOldFashioned enough without whom this would not have happened. He was alerted to an auction of a Borsalino item and it so happened the auction house was in the Netherlands. There was only one picture, but that and the description were enough to set things in motion. Here's the picture.
View attachment 563776
Intrigueing, right? I contacted the auction house and they were very forthcoming and sent me some more pictures. Jonathan and I agreed that we needed to save this item for posterity and with his contribution I made an offer, because I could not attend the auction in person (work) and the online bidding didn't give me much confidence due to the difficulties registering. Anyway. Tuesday the hammer fell and the bid was high enough (just). Went to pick it up today.
So what is then, dang it?!
It is a march 1912 Borsalino catalog, they call it an illustrated book themselves, for the styles and colours they had on offer. So now for the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good. Well, that's obvious. It's a unique piece and it is larger in size than I expected it to be. It measures a few millimeter under 30x40cm (12x16" thereabouts). It's a miracle this thing is still around after 111 years and provides us with an insight how many styles were available at the time (all of them!).
The bad. It's not complete. There are a few pages missing from the catalog that appear to have been just torn out. Four pages seem to be missing. It's not completely in colour. Only the first few pages are in colour, it seems to give you an impression of the available colours and after that it was just about the models.
The ugly. It's not in great shape. No surprise there after all the time that went by, but this has been around the block a few times. It has some stains, foxing, tears, folds, waterdamage, you name it; it's got it.

The verdict. Despite of the condition it's in, it is well worth every penny I paid for it. There is likely no other one of these around. The auction house sure couldn't find any other examples of it and I'd imagine they have some decent resources. Guido Barberis doesn't mention it in his Borsalino books nor is there any example of an image of this catalog found elsewhere (except for the watercolour of the factory, made by Carlo Krättly in 1910). And Barberis had access to the Borsalino archives. So, it's an important piece and I'm happy as a clam.
Here are the pics (in three separate posts) I took with my phone. Have to take some real pictures or scans to document it properly for posterity. They state it is copyrighted, but I'll take my chances after 111 years.

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Between these two pages the remnants of the missing pages can be seen (image below of the left hand side).

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Wow! Just TREMENDOUS

 

[Steve1857]

Thank you, Steve. Very satisfying to find an item like this. I'm afraid this is it though; there are no more pages than I've posted here.

Always leave them wanting more, Stefan.

A fantastic item no matter how many pages.

 

[PanosChris]

Part III

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Many many thanks to Jonathan @TheOldFashioned once again. Now all you need to do is find all of these just before Christmas.

Phenomenal find, Stefan (and Jonathan) and thanks for sharing! It's interesting (sad) how many of those styles we never get to find/see

 

[Pkyoakum]

Anyone remember what pages on this thread that has the different white tags Borsalino used with the dates they were crafted?

 

[BobHufford]

Anyone remember what pages on this thread that has the different white tags Borsalino used with the dates they were crafted?

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-borsalino-brotherhood.13133/page-398#post-2685693

 

[Pkyoakum]

Th

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-borsalino-brotherhood.13133/page-398#post-2685693

This is is great. I remember there is also a couple of pages with photo samples, but this helps a lot. Thanks.

 

[Mighty44]

Part III

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Many many thanks to Jonathan @TheOldFashioned once again. Now all you need to do is find all of these just before Christmas.

Amazing—a treasure despite the condition issues, and you are just the man to own Stefan! Congrats!

 

[steur]

Wow! Just TREMENDOUS

Thank you, Joe.

Always leave them wanting more, Stefan.

A fantastic item no matter how many pages.

True. Now I want the four missing pages! O, and all the hats on the pages we do have!

Phenomenal find, Stefan (and Jonathan) and thanks for sharing! It's interesting (sad) how many of those styles we never get to find/see

Thanks, Panos. I'm sure I'm not alone in my wish to find a hat in any of these styles. What it also proves is that the teens wasn't all about short brims and tall crowns. Using style elements as a way of dating hats is a slippery slope.

Amazing—a treasure despite the condition issues, and you are just the man to own Stefan! Congrats!

Thank you, David. Let's hope more items like these come to the surface.

 

[mayserwegener]

Stefan, Super find and fantastic resource! I am very happy you won the auction!

 

[steur]

Stefan, Super find and fantastic resource! I am very happy you won the auction!

Thank you, Steve. So am I!

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Part III

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Many many thanks to Jonathan @TheOldFashioned once again. Now all you need to do is find all of these just before Christmas.

Thank you, Stefan, for the kind words. I'm glad we were able to team up and make this happen. Truly a rare and great addition for the Brotherhood and TFL.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Every once in a while you stumble upon something special. I cannot thank our fellow lounger Jonathan @TheOldFashioned enough without whom this would not have happened. He was alerted to an auction of a Borsalino item and it so happened the auction house was in the Netherlands. There was only one picture, but that and the description were enough to set things in motion. Here's the picture.

The discovery is one of those that leave their mark in the history of research into the history of Borsalino.
I had seen parts of the catalog on the Italian market, lithographs of the workforce, employees and exports and factory and some others, sold individually, at high prices.
Parts of the Borsalino catalogs of those years (10 - 20 - 30) can be found as single pages in the old hatters' newspapers and in some old newspaper clippings.
Looking at the catalog calmly, which is why I am writing now, and comparing it with what I have on paper and saved in files, it is a general catalogue, let's say a total inventory of Borsalino production in those years following the death of Giuseppe Borsalino. I am sure that for individual countries or macro regions the catalog has been reduced. The number of styles produced and the market positioning of a manufacturer like Borsalino who was able to satisfy any request for shape and style is impressive. It is also a demonstration of strength on the market for competitors.
Two notes of curiosity. At the time it wasn't printed in color as we now understand printing on paper in a typography. We will arrive at that standard in the 30-40s, therefore the colors were single also because there was no scanning of the images to be printed as we now, or rather until recently, did for letterpress printing.
Second note to tickle collectors: I found the original Borsalino sign with the medals on the market. The asking price is high and authenticity needs to be verified. Considering that it is fifty kilometers from Verona and the seller requests it, I can always do an inspection. I didn't enter into negotiations for the price, but the basis was impossible, then he moved on to a private negotiation

At the end I claim it is a source of history of hats and a clear field of inspiration
Bravi Jonathan and Stefan. Congratulation

 

[steur]

The discovery is one of those that leave their mark in the history of research into the history of Borsalino.
I had seen parts of the catalog on the Italian market, lithographs of the workforce, employees and exports and factory and some others, sold individually, at high prices.
Parts of the Borsalino catalogs of those years (10 - 20 - 30) can be found as single pages in the old hatters' newspapers and in some old newspaper clippings.
Looking at the catalog calmly, which is why I am writing now, and comparing it with what I have on paper and saved in files, it is a general catalogue, let's say a total inventory of Borsalino production in those years following the death of Giuseppe Borsalino. I am sure that for individual countries or macro regions the catalog has been reduced. The number of styles produced and the market positioning of a manufacturer like Borsalino who was able to satisfy any request for shape and style is impressive. It is also a demonstration of strength on the market for competitors.
Two notes of curiosity. At the time it wasn't printed in color as we now understand printing on paper in a typography. We will arrive at that standard in the 30-40s, therefore the colors were single also because there was no scanning of the images to be printed as we now, or rather until recently, did for letterpress printing.
Second note to tickle collectors: I found the original Borsalino sign with the medals on the market. The asking price is high and authenticity needs to be verified. Considering that it is fifty kilometers from Verona and the seller requests it, I can always do an inspection. I didn't enter into negotiations for the price, but the basis was impossible, then he moved on to a private negotiation

At the end I claim it is a source of history of hats and a clear field of inspiration
Bravi Jonathan and Stefan. Congratulation

Thank you, Daniele. I think your assessment of the function of this catalog is correct and indeed it is highly likely that pages of this catalog were either used as illustration or parted off to be displayed or sold. Colour printing like zincography did take off in the early years of the twentieth century but was likely expensive, so indeed a show of strength by Borsalino. Makes you wonder which shops these were given to; it's not like a folder or flyer to be handed off to anyone.
There are other Borsalino items of interest to be found. The medals display can sometimes be seen, but usually at high prices. Here's another item by Borsalino that begs to be saved:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/403746577720
Advertised as their business statement used for the Universal Exhibition of Brussels 1910.
I'll share some thoughts about the catalog here soon.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

MGL and n size 5 ½ or 7 ¼ US. Some light moth damage bit nothing too bad. Moths have excellent taste in felt.

 

[DonEf]

Apart from eBay & garage sales are there other places that sell vintage Borsalinos?. I’m looking for a 61 cm in a silver belly color.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Apart from eBay & garage sales are there other places that sell vintage Borsalinos?. I’m looking for a 61 cm in a silver belly color.

This will most likely just take a lot of perseverance. They are out there, but you can go many months without finding one. Otherwise, you rely on luck, and I don’t have much.

Also be aware that some Borsalino sizing is…inconsistent. I’d hate for you to find your dream hat only to have it be too small.