I was chatting with my handyman/neighbor Ken the other day about vintage stuff.  He has an old portable manual typewriter that he still uses!  I was explaining that I’d love to borrow it sometime to stage a desk, and he said “would you ever want to use a Laurel & Hardy hat?”

Huh?  A Laurel & Hardy hat?  What is that?

Well, it’s a Derby or Bowler of course!

This belonged to Ken’s grandpa.  As I love to remind Ken, he’s ‘getting up there’ himself, so I imagine his grandpa hasn’t been around to wear hats for a long time.  I googled it and read that this hat style was popular from the 1850’s through the 1920’s.

The hatbox still has the postal label on it and a C.O.D. price of $5.98.  C.O.D.  I bet there are a few of you out there that don’t even know what that is.  Cash on delivery.  Can you imagine having something sent to you this way now, where the postman has to collect the money from you?

And here is a picture of Ken’s grandpa (on the left) in the hat!

Well, I’m kind of assuming it’s the same hat.  Ken isn’t sure.  But unless his grandpa had several Bowlers, it’s probably the same hat.

Anyway, of course I told Ken that I would love to borrow this sometime to stage a dresser or armoire.

Meanwhile, I took a few photos of it and then a few more with the pink hat stand I bought at an estate sale for my friend Michelle.  Since Michelle has a millinery background, I knew she’d love a vintage pink hat stand.

Ken however thought the pink hat stand was ALL wrong for his granddad’s hat!

I think it’s kind of fab, don’t you?