Speedster said:
The New York Times, September 13, 1911 (other sources states that the drive took place on April 23, 1911 [huh]):
BURMAN MAKES WORLD'S RECORD
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archiv...A1531E233A25750C0A96F9C946096D6CF&oref=slogin
Could be from that event...
A few other shots of the car (and hats/crown):
That's it alright!
I don't see our Fedora wearing friend showing up again however.
That's interesting. The advertising copy provided above shows that a new "soft hat" design was coming in about 1908. In this 1911 scene (the LoC photo linked in above), one fellow is wearing a Fedora. I guess this would suggest that perhaps the modern Fedora dates to about 1908, with some closely associated styles being around at the same time, but they hadn't really caught on yet, and wouldn't for about another decade after these photos.
I wonder what sparked the sudden increase in Fedoras in the 20s? Perhaps they just looked more modern?