- Messages
- 15,072
- Location
- Buffalo, NY
Hello All,
I originally posted the below post in the "1890's-1900's early hat manufacture HAWES (Hawes Von Gal) HAT CO" thread and was asked to repost it hear. I have always loved hats and I love to save older items in general when I find them, I do have a few other hats and never thought much about the history behind them. This is my first derby and researching the history has struck a cord to find out more.
"I found you all after researching information about a Hawes Von Gal Derby I found at a thrift shop. Someone on this thread did a ton of research and I thank you. After reviewing the data on this thread and on the web I realized the derby could be around 100yrs old, which I found hard to believe. I was wondering if anyone here could help me confirm an approximate age on the hat. Here are the details I have and I will also provide some pics. Thank you in advance for any additional info that can be provided.
The hat is a Black or Grey, 6 7/8, Vented Derby, manufactured by Hawes, von Gal incorporated Danbury, Conn.
The Hat Band has two imprints - "Fine Quality von Gal made Hat" and "Hawes, von Gal inc. New York, Boston, Chicago".
It has a Hawes, von Gal style number tag but I cant make out the number, it could be 1828, 7828 or something else.
It also has a combination Hawes von Gal trade mark tag and a (misspelled) store tag from Wm. Argersinge(r), Johnston, N.Y.".
There is another "To duplicate mention" tag with the number 6870 and a tag with the numbers "(5 ' 4x2 ' 4)"
There is what I think is a union hatters tag as well.
Does anyone have additional info or an idea of the age? Condition seems great if the hat is almost a century or older."
View attachment 393749 View attachment 393750 View attachment 393751 View attachment 393752 View attachment 393753 View attachment 393754 View attachment 393755 View attachment 393756 View attachment 393757 View attachment 393758
Great find. There is good history in the Hawes Von Gal thread (much of which I've forgotten)... little if anything of the company was seen after WWI. c.1910 as a date for your derby should be a good guess, with a margin to either side of a few years. Definitely a century old.