What Hat Are You Wearing Today ?

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Good point, my bad. But Borchert still had to move. So their new address was no longer pre war W.8., but Berlin W as in West Berlin. Or maybe again the W just being a postal designation without a number.

From the WIKi I posted above:
W.8 is the old postal code established in 1862 which divided the postal districts according to cardinal points (C, E, SO, S, SW, W, NW, N, NO) - the number further subdivided these into small districts. These designations continued to exist after the war until the introduction of 4-digit postal codes in the 1960s (West Berlin 1962, East Berlin 1965). The designation W on the post-war hat therefore still refers to the old postal district, not 'West Berlin'. But I can't say why the number might have been dropped - I'll keep thinking about it...

 

[DonR]

On sharp ME

Oh, man, that is SO fine!!!

Thank you gentlemen.

 

[DonR]

Beautiful 75 degree day here today. Warmest it's been for a while. Wearing an unlined sage colored Royal Playboy.

 

[The Shoe]

Western weight Hornskov for a visit to the dentist yesterday.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

From the WIKi I posted above:
W.8 is the old postal code established in 1862 which divided the postal districts according to cardinal points (C, E, SO, S, SW, W, NW, N, NO) - the number further subdivided these into small districts. These designations continued to exist after the war until the introduction of 4-digit postal codes in the 1960s (West Berlin 1962, East Berlin 1965). The designation W on the post-war hat therefore still refers to the old postal district, not 'West Berlin'. But I can't say why the number might have been dropped - I'll keep thinking about it...

My hypothesis is that the new address was no longer in Berlin W. 8, though still in Berlin W.

Here is a photo of the number designations for Berlin W (sorry, I can’t remember where I found this). It seems Berlin W. 8 was cut in two by the partition.

 

[fabiovenhorst]

Borsalino Feather Weight

 

[rogueclimber]

Borsalino Feather Weight View attachment 609761

You always look so good! Bravo

 

[Steve1857]

My hypothesis is that the new address was no longer in Berlin W. 8, though still in Berlin W.

Here is a photo of the number designations for Berlin W (sorry, I can’t remember where I found this). It seems Berlin W. 8 was cut in two by the partition.
View attachment 609757

I agree with your hypothesis, Nathan. It's my understanding that Friedrichstrasse was divided between east and west, and that the Wall cut through it in '61. I didn't realise that Kurfürstendamm was a W address as I've always known at as M (Mitte).

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

I agree with your hypothesis, Nathan. It's my understanding that Friedrichstrasse was divided between east and west, and that the Wall cut through it in '61. I didn't realise that Kurfürstendamm was a W address as I've always known at as M (Mitte).

As I now understand it, almost all of the cardinal direction postal divisions (as well as the one “C” for Zentrum) were for Berlin-Mitte. They definitely didn’t apply to boroughs (Bezirke) like Charlottenburg. Those addresses would be marked with that borough name (eg, “Berlin-Charlottenburg”) like this one from 1926:

The Wiki article that Matt posted actually shows the breakdown for all the cardinal directions, under the heading “Legende” if you want to see the specifics (not sure if you read German but it does give a history of this system and explains it as specific to “Alt Berlin” ie, Mitte).

The chart under “Legende” is easy to read and to note that most of them were for “Mitte” or for a sub-division of Mitte such as “Tiergaten” or were in another borough but Mitte-adjacent (eg, an area of Pankow or Kreuzberg that borders on Mitte).
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Postbezirke_zwischen_1862_und_1920#:~:text=Die Buchstaben in der ersten,=Südwesten, W=Westen

 

[Steve1857]

As I now understand it, almost all of the cardinal direction postal divisions (as well as the one “C” for Zentrum) were for Berlin-Mitte. They definitely didn’t apply to boroughs (Bezirke) like Charlottenburg. Those addresses would be marked with that borough name (eg, “Berlin-Charlottenburg”) like this one from 1925:
View attachment 609810

The Wiki article that Matt posted actually shows the breakdown for all the cardinal directions, under the heading “Legende” if you want to see the specifics (not sure if you read German but it does give a history of this system and explains it as specific to “Alt Berlin” ie, Mitte).

The chart under “Legende” is easy to read and to note that most of them were for “Mitte” or for a sub-division of Mitte such as “Tiergaten” or were in another borough but Mitte-adjacent (eg, an area of Pankow or Kreuzberg that borders on Mitte).
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Postbezirke_zwischen_1862_und_1920#:~:text=Die Buchstaben in der ersten,=Südwesten, W=Westen

Thanks, Nathan. I'm pretty good at reading German, but must admit, I haven't read Matt's Wiki link. I must do so.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Thanks, Nathan. I'm pretty good at reading German, but must admit, I haven't read Matt's Wiki link. I must do so.

Yeah I haven’t read it all either but I will. What I don’t yet understand is if this system is now defunct or still in use.

 

[Steve1857]

This is why I love collecting hats, and what I told my students yesterday during my talk on Top Hats.

You're not just collecting a hat, your collecting a piece of history that you just have to find out more about

Extra bonus: it connects you with people you would never have connected with before, like the good folks on the FL.

 

[Steve1857]

Newly acquired Prima Homburg. Never seen this brand before, but it's not at all a badly made hat. At just under €7, it was worth a punt.

 

[BobHufford]

 

[VoodooSan]

Newly acquired Prima Homburg. Never seen this brand before, but it's not at all a badly made hat. At just under €7, it was worth a punt.

View attachment 609824

Seriously??? The only thing I could possibly find over here for under $7.50 would be a dirty, tattered, obscene-slogan, gimme cap! I'd say you did very well, Steve!

 

[VoodooSan]

View attachment 609846

You tease!

 

[Steve1857]

Seriously??? The only thing I could possibly find over here for under $7.50 would be a dirty, tattered, obscene-slogan, gimme cap! I'd say you did very well, Steve!

Thanks, Mark. I must admit, I'm pretty pleased

 

[steur]

Pre WWI Battersby Top Hat

View attachment 609662

Worn for a præsentation at my school on the history of Top Hats.

View attachment 609663

I was pleasantly gratified by the reception of the students, and the back up of my collegues.

View attachment 609665

Fantastic!

 

[dkstott]

Roger Williams zoo in Providence Rhode and a Stetson Roadster

 

[BobHufford]

You tease!

Sorry — wrong thread. This should have been in the “Waiting For” thread (where teasing has precedents).