TopHatters (San Leandro) - In Memoriam of Ted & Marie Lee

[John Galt]

As I've noted elsewhere, Ted & Marie Lee ran their "TopHatters" hat shop together for 65 years (1947-2012), first in Oakland and then San Leandro, California.

I found these photos in the materials I purchased from their estate. Their Trustee (nephew) told me to keep them. I thought they might interest some of you.

These were probably proofs for a newspaper article about the shop they had in Oakland before moving to San Leandro. These are not photos of the San Leandro shop.

 

[John Galt]

More photos.

 

[John Galt]

Last batch.

 

[TheDane]

Great photos, John. Thanks for sharing.

 

[1mach1]

Very cool, JG. Great find, and great story to boot!

 

[splintercellsz]

Thank you for the share, John! Very neat to see what happens behind the scenes.

 

[Blackthorn]

Sad to say, I never knew they were there. Wish I had.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Thank you for sharing.
Nice pictures.

 

[humanshoes]

Thanks for sharing the photographs, JG. A beautiful love story on many levels.

 

[John Galt]

Happy to share fellows, glad you appreciated it as I did. I haven't seen many photos like this, despite my interest in the subject.

Yes, HS, a great love story on multiple levels. Wish I'd gotten to meet them. Ted Lee was something of a mechanical genius, I think...

 

[Andykev]

Long ago, I drove to their shop. Was in a residential area, and I think it was their house. Had a iron gate in front, and a top hat sign outside. Met the lady, it must have been Mrs. Lee. I was very young, and starting to look for some place to buy a real hat. There wasn't any "internet" or even much in the way of computers back then. Certainly no cell phones. I had no idea what I was looking at, or anything about hats. Just knew I liked them. I don't remember her much, except that she could tell I was not buying anything. It sure is a blur after all these years. The neighborhood was going down hill in that area at the time.....

Thanks for posting the photos. Wow.

 

[Blackthorn]

Long ago, I drove to their shop. Was in a residential area, and I think it was their house. Had a iron gate in front, and a top hat sign outside. Met the lady, it must have been Mrs. Lee. I was very young, and starting to look for some place to buy a real hat. There wasn't any "internet" or even much in the way of computers back then. Certainly no cell phones. I had no idea what I was looking at, or anything about hats. Just knew I liked them. I don't remember her much, except that she could tell I was not buying anything. It sure is a blur after all these years. The neighborhood was going down hill in that area at the time.....

Thanks for posting the photos. Wow.

Interesting...

 

[John Galt]

Long ago, I drove to their shop. Was in a residential area, and I think it was their house. Had a iron gate in front, and a top hat sign outside. Met the lady, it must have been Mrs. Lee. I was very young, and starting to look for some place to buy a real hat. There wasn't any "internet" or even much in the way of computers back then. Certainly no cell phones. I had no idea what I was looking at, or anything about hats. Just knew I liked them. I don't remember her much, except that she could tell I was not buying anything. It sure is a blur after all these years. The neighborhood was going down hill in that area at the time.....

Thanks for posting the photos. Wow.

That's the San Leandro shop. Just off the freeway, on the edge of a residential neighborhood on MacArthur Blvd. you have a very good memory, see the pic below, which I took when I picked up all the hat-making supplies (less nephew Peter's Optimo block & matching flange for posterity). It was not their home, actually, but had a definite lived-in feel.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

To run a hat shop you have to be a mechanical genius.

 

[Hatter4]

John, I like the photos,they show the work area and the tools of the trade

 

[John Galt]

John, I like the photos,they show the work area and the tools of the trade

Oliver, I specifically thought of you when I posted these ;-)

WH, it was probably one of the secrets of their 65-year run. At some point I'll post photos of their under-counter motor-driven spinner with two heads. You can see the blocking/flanging steamers (there are two) in the photos I posted here.

 

[DOGMAN]

Cool pics.I think they would be happy to know that their stuff will be put to good use.

 

[John Galt]

Cool pics.I think they would be happy to know that their stuff will be put to good use.

I like to think so. I think it was an important consideration for their nephew, Peter. He kept an Optimo block and flange as a memoir, and I'll be making he and his son Drew each a hat with Ted & Marie's tools & hat bodies.

 

[Hatter4]

john, what kind of hats are you going to make for them? will you post a photo of them when they are done?

 

[John Galt]

Oliver, they both want black stingy brimmed fedoras with black grosgrain hatbands. I will post photos in this thread when I make them.