Toppers Unite

[Steve1857]

Ever since watching the 1935 Movie Top Hat and getting Astaire-Addicted in 2017, I've wanted a Silk Plush Top Hat. The only issue is I have a 59cm head size and they're not exactly usually that cheap... so after years of saving up, looking for deals and buying and selling smaller hats, here we go:

The hat is from Lincoln Bennett, London from the 1910s and has a reasonable bell curve to it.

My only issue is that when I polish it, the silk naturally temporarily stiffens and so you can see the stiff strands when you look closely. Does anyone know how to more safely polish the hat as I don't want to damage this hat over time.

Lincoln Bennett & Co is a super find for your first Top Hat. Congrats and welcome to the FL.

Firstly, can you post more photos of it both inside and out.

Secondly, did it come with a case/box?

Thirdly, what do you mean by polishing? You should brush it with the correct brush for a top hat. Did it come with one?

 

[jviss]

Greetings! New here. I have a Carl Fiedler opera hat. As such, it has no sweatband as a regular hat would have. I wear a 7 18, and i'm pretty sure this one's a 7. Is there any way to enlarge this kind of hat?

Thanks,

jv

 

[Steve1857]

It was the case that drew me to this one, but the topper turned out to be a winner, too.

Early 1900s, beautiful sheen and feel to the silk. Just a bit over 13cm crown height, 4.5cm brim to the curl.



I cannot find anything about the supposed maker, John Harwood of London, which leads me to believe it's a surrogate name.



However, it was sold in one of Copenhagen's most exclusive stores, Magasin du Nord, which is still in existence.



The cushion is from Weber & Heilbroner of Manhatten, New York. I presume that's where the case was bought.





The lock on the case is sadly missing its key, but the mechanism still works. Made by Eagle Lock Co, Terryville, Connecticut. I would assume the whole case is from Eagle Lock Co too as they also made travelling trunks etc.



The hat sailed from Copenhagen to New York on the good ship SS Frederik VIII of the Scandinavian-America line. Built in 1913 in Stettin, Poland at the German shipwright Vulcan Werke.

The SS Frederik sailed from Denmark to New York from 1914 to 1935.

I don't know what case/box it sailed out in, but it came home in this one

 

[Steve1857]

Two custom stamps, Danish and American. Sadly, no year.



The interior is a wonderful purple velour. The hat can slide in and be safe from shaking. The two pockets can hold the cushion and other accoutrements.



I can't make out the first name on the name tag, but the surname looks like Dessau. I'm going to trawl the passenger list site for this ship tomorrow

In the meantime, I've been enjoying wearing this piece of transatlantic history

 

[steur]

Two custom stamps, Danish and American. Sadly, no year.

View attachment 412639 View attachment 412640

The interior is a wonderful purple velour. The hat can slide in and be safe from shaking. The two pockets can hold the cushion and other accoutrements.

View attachment 412637 View attachment 412638

I can't make out the first name on the name tag, but the surname looks like Dessau. I'm going to trawl the passenger list site for this ship tomorrow

In the meantime, I've been enjoying wearing this piece of transatlantic history View attachment 412652 View attachment 412651

That's a glorious find, Steve. Love the hatbox and the hat is no slouch either!

 

[Steve1857]

That's a glorious find, Steve. Love the hatbox and the hat is no slouch either!

Thanks Stefan. I'm so overjoyed with this one. Who says you don't need another Top Hat

 

[Rumad]

What an amazing top hat Steve. I love the story too. AND that box (purple is an obsession of mine), but I’m sure glad they don’t all come with them. None of us would have any room in our homes. Good for you! Love it

 

[Steve1857]

What an amazing top hat Steve. I love the story too. AND that box (purple is an obsession of mine), but I’m sure glad they don’t all come with them. None of us would have any room in our homes. Good for you! Love it

Thanks Alan. I love purple, too

 

[Steve1857]

Not sure whether this is one is French or English. The box suggests English with its quite common for the period Latest of London logo.



The label inside the hat suggests it's French.


"A. Cassé suppliers of Parisienne premier brands"

The box is from an establishment in Denmark's 4th largest town, Aalborg. The hat and box may not be original to one another.



As yet, I haven't been able to find any information about A. Cassé or Frederik Petersen.

It's a very well made, solid Topper with a fine feel to the silk. Most likely pre WWI.
4.5cm brim to the curl
14cm crown height



The icing on the cake is, it fits.

 

[steur]

Not sure whether this is one is French or English. The box suggests English with its quite common for the period Latest of London logo.

View attachment 417976

The label inside the hat suggests it's French.

View attachment 417977 View attachment 417978
"A. Cassé suppliers of Parisienne premier brands"

The box is from an establishment in Denmark's 4th largest town, Aalborg. The hat and box may not be original to one another.

View attachment 417979

As yet, I haven't been able to find any information about A. Cassé or Frederik Petersen.

It's a very well made, solid Topper with a fine feel to the silk. Most likely pre WWI.
4.5cm brim to the curl
14cm crown height

View attachment 417980 View attachment 417981 View attachment 417982

The icing on the cake is, it fits.

View attachment 417984

It's a glorious hat, Steve. I think I can help you out about Cassé. Here's what I found.
Born in 1850, Léon Cassé was the eleventh son of a well-known family in Essonnes. After learning the profession of hatter, he undertook a tour of France which enabled him to perfect his knowledge and acquire exemplary know-how in his specialty. Returning to Essonnes, Léon Cassé joined his brother Eugène, the founder, in 1852, of what was to become the famous Cassé millinery. The factory located rue Victor Hugo was first specialized in the manufacture of silk hats. In 1887, Léon Cassé took over the family business, which continued to grow. Thus, at the beginning of the twentieth century, nearly one hundred and fifty skilled workers produced fifty thousand top hats annually in the workshops which occupied an area of 1,500 m2. Famous throughout the world, the Cassé millinery won the London Grand Prix in 1908 and the Brussels Grand Prix in 1910 for the quality of its various hat models.
Mayor of Essonnes from 1908 to 1914
Léon Cassé also took part in the life of the town of Essonnes. Elected in the municipal elections of 1904, the hatter donned the mayor's sash on May 17, 1908. Died in April 1914, Léon Cassé was replaced by Louis Baudoin, the mayor who, on May 11, 1914, laid the first stone of the new town hall of Essonnes located place Maurice Thorez. As for the old town hall, it was located on Place Léon Cassé, at the edge of Rue de Paris. On the ground floor of the cramped building was the police station. It was Albert Cassé, a direct descendant of Léon, who took over the hat factory. His son Marcel, born in Essonnes in 1901, was to create a design office devoted to the design of new hat-making machines which would later equip the biggest hat factories all over the world. The activities of the Cassé millinery ceased definitively in 1969. Long abandoned, the premises on rue Victor Hugo were finally destroyed in November 1976. -five studios was built.
Corbeil-Essonnes named a street after the original Cassé: Place Léon Cassé.

 

[Steve1857]

It's a glorious hat, Steve. I think I can help you out about Cassé. Here's what I found.
Born in 1850, Léon Cassé was the eleventh son of a well-known family in Essonnes. After learning the profession of hatter, he undertook a tour of France which enabled him to perfect his knowledge and acquire exemplary know-how in his specialty. Returning to Essonnes, Léon Cassé joined his brother Eugène, the founder, in 1852, of what was to become the famous Cassé millinery. The factory located rue Victor Hugo was first specialized in the manufacture of silk hats. In 1887, Léon Cassé took over the family business, which continued to grow. Thus, at the beginning of the twentieth century, nearly one hundred and fifty skilled workers produced fifty thousand top hats annually in the workshops which occupied an area of 1,500 m2. Famous throughout the world, the Cassé millinery won the London Grand Prix in 1908 and the Brussels Grand Prix in 1910 for the quality of its various hat models.
Mayor of Essonnes from 1908 to 1914
Léon Cassé also took part in the life of the town of Essonnes. Elected in the municipal elections of 1904, the hatter donned the mayor's sash on May 17, 1908. Died in April 1914, Léon Cassé was replaced by Louis Baudoin, the mayor who, on May 11, 1914, laid the first stone of the new town hall of Essonnes located place Maurice Thorez. As for the old town hall, it was located on Place Léon Cassé, at the edge of Rue de Paris. On the ground floor of the cramped building was the police station. It was Albert Cassé, a direct descendant of Léon, who took over the hat factory. His son Marcel, born in Essonnes in 1901, was to create a design office devoted to the design of new hat-making machines which would later equip the biggest hat factories all over the world. The activities of the Cassé millinery ceased definitively in 1969. Long abandoned, the premises on rue Victor Hugo were finally destroyed in November 1976. -five studios was built.
Corbeil-Essonnes named a street after the original Cassé: Place Léon Cassé.

View attachment 418016

Stefan, grateful thanks for the help. I knew if anyone could, you could.

However, how come your Google is better than mine

 

[steur]

Stefan, grateful thanks for the help. I knew if anyone could, you could.

However, how come your Google is better than mine

To be honest I thought Cassé could be Belgian and would probably be mentioned as a "chapelier", so I used "chapelier Cassé" as a search and this popped up from a site dedicated to the history of Corbeil. I wasn't as lucky with Tolstrup Jensen from Randers

 

[Steve1857]

To be honest I thought Cassé could be Belgian and would probably be mentioned as a "chapelier", so I used "chapelier Cassé" as a search and this popped up from a site dedicated to the history of Corbeil. I wasn't as lucky with Tolstrup Jensen from Randers

Nor me with the Danish hat sellers other than you know who.

 

[Steve1857]

Very early 1900s (possibly pre 1900s) Top Hat with the ubiquitous "London Manufacture" logo.

Originally sold at the establishment of Albert Nielsen, Vesterbrogade 62. The spelling of Kjöbenhavn was officially changed to København in 1906.

Brim width is just over 4cm to the curl. Crown is just over 14cm.

The feel of the silk is second only to a Lincoln Bennett & Co Topper I own.

 

[Steve1857]

I don't have an opera hat in my collection, so was drawn to this one.




The mechanism still works.



Unknown maker.



The best thing about it though is this wonderful case it came in.

 

[Steve1857]

Greetings! New here. I have a Carl Fiedler opera hat. As such, it has no sweatband as a regular hat would have. I wear a 7 18, and i'm pretty sure this one's a 7. Is there any way to enlarge this kind of hat?

Thanks,

jv

A very belated welcome to the Toppers Unite thread jv.

It's always a good idea to post photos. I'm sure we'd all love to see your Carl Fiedler.

Stiff felts such as Top Hats and Bowlers are hard to stretch simply because they're hard hats. An opera hat with its intern metal mechanism makes it even harder.

You can always try slightly tweaking surely but slowly with a hat jack. Alternatively, use your head.

Good luck, and please post photos of your Fiedler.

 

[Steve1857]

A.F. Bodecker Top Hat. Very early 1900s. Just under 5cm brim to the curl. 15.7cm crown height.
The tallest Top Hat in my collection.



Along with Francois Petitgas, Bodecker was one of the most well known and prestigious hat makers of the mid to late 1800s in Denmark.

He was an official supplier of hats to several European royal families including the Danish court. This one shows his seal of approval to the Belgian court: "Fournisseur de la cour"



Interesting that it has the Royal Belgian mark and Copenhagen etc in French and not the Danish courts logo.

The hat was sold at the establishment of William Thimm in the town of Skive, Jutland: the Danish mainland.

Here's a photo of Thimm's shop from 1910



Bundtmager means furrier in English.

Bodecker was of Swedish origin and learnt his trade as a hat maker in various European countries during the years of revolution in the mid 1800s. He finally settled down in Denmark, but also had an establishment in Stockholm, Sweden.

Needless to say, this Topper has a special place in my collection

 

[steur]

A.F. Bodecker Top Hat. Very early 1900s. Just under 5cm brim to the curl. 15.7cm crown height.
The tallest Top Hat in my collection.

View attachment 423409 View attachment 423410

Along with Francois Petitgas, Bodecker was one of the most well known and prestigious hat makers of the mid to late 1800s in Denmark.

He was an official supplier of hats to several European royal families including the Danish court. This one shows his seal of approval to the Belgian court: "Fournisseur de la cour"

View attachment 423411

Interesting that it has the Royal Belgian mark and Copenhagen etc in French and not the Danish courts logo.

The hat was sold at the establishment of William Thimm in the town of Skive, Jutland: the Danish mainland.

Here's a photo of Thimm's shop from 1910

View attachment 423412

Bundtmager means furrier in English.

Bodecker was of Swedish origin and learnt his trade as a hat maker in various European countries during the years of revolution in the mid 1800s. He finally settled down in Denmark, but also had an establishment in Stockholm, Sweden.

Needless to say, this Topper has a special place in my collection

View attachment 423414

Fabulous run of toppers, Steve. I can see how easily they can become addictive. They were of course on the top end op hatmaking and were not cheaply done back in the day. Great finds all.

 

[Steve1857]

Fabulous run of toppers, Steve. I can see how easily they can become addictive. They were of course on the top end op hatmaking and were not cheaply done back in the day. Great finds all.

Thanks Stefan.

I know I'm out on somewhat of a limb with this addiction, but I am drawn to the beauty and history of these magnificent hats, especially those with a Danish connection and those that come in leather cases or boxes.

 

[Steve1857]

Prince & Co, Sackville Street, London. Originally sold in the Harrods of Copenhagen.



I knew one side of the brim was badly bent, but it was the leather case I was most interested in.



After some great advice from Stefan @steur, I heated the hat in the oven and flipped the wings up to give it that old time Topper look.





I'm pretty pleased with this