Posted 8 years ago
jscott0363
(903 items)
Hello fellow collectors!!!
A few weeks ago, while searching for treasures in an antique mall, I stumbled upon a very old, dried out and dilapidated top hat case with a very dirty silk Dunlap & Co top hat inside. Apparently, it had been passed on by several folks, due to it's condition, so I made a low offer to the person at the counter and they accepted. I knew I had found quite a nice little treasure!
The hat case was irrecoverable and ended up in the garbage, but the hat cleaned up and polished to near mint condition. It's from the 1895-1905 period. This would have been a very high end hat in its' day and would have sold for about $8.00 during that period. That was nearly a weeks' salary for the average working man.
I was thrilled to be able to add a Dunlap & Co. N.Y. top hat to my collection. Especially one so beautiful. Based on the age of this one and the nice lay and shine of the silk, there's no doubt that this one is covered in beaver silk. Rabbit or ermine would not be this highly polished. This one also contains the initials of the original owner T.B.W.
Robert Dunlap received his first job at the age of 12 in 1857 as a general office boy for Charles Knox of Knox Hats in New York. Soon the boy graduated to the ranks of the hat salesmen, and several years later was still selling Knox hats, his salary having risen to $12 weekly. Ambitious, he asked for $15, and when Knox refused the raise the angry, Dunlap left to start his own business. Thus began the famed Dunlap hat company, founded by a onetime Knox errand boy.
By the late 1890's Dunlap Hats was known for the quality of its high end “formal” hats, such as top hats and bowlers. In deed, Dunlap succeeded in turning out the blackest derbies ever known, the Dunlap hat eventually outsold the Knox in Manhattan. For many a year small hat-makers held up their spring lines until they could see and imitate the Dunlap derby and the Knox felt.
As for Knox-Dunlap competition, both the Knox and the Dunlap businesses declined in the second decade of the 20th century and in 1918 Dunlap was acquired by Knox, though hats under the Dunlap name continued to be produced.
Thanks all for stopping and having a look!!!
Scott
the hat glows!
Thanks Thomas!
I must agree that this was a nice save. So many of these end up in garbage dumps because folks fail to see the potential. Thanks for the comment, the love and for stopping in. Always appreciated!!
fleafinder,
Thank you!!!! It does seem to glow. Thanks for the lovely comment, the love and for stopping by. Always genuinely appreciated!!!
Rob,
Thanks very much for the appreciation and for stopping by. I do appreciate it very much!!
These hats are so great Scott, can't believe the shine you get on them.
Are they the brushes you use and the powder?
Judy,
Thanks so much!! Those are vintage French made hat brushes and a full unopened can of Handy Hatter hat cleaning powder from the 1920 period. I just used them for display purposes.
Hate to give up my hat cleaning and polishing secrets, but K-Y jelly works well for polishing these silk top hats, after a thorough cleaning though. And, believe or not, a light wipe down with a damp Mr. Clean Magic Eraser also works well for a fantastic shine on these old silk hats. You MUST be sure and take extreme caution when using them or you'll ruin the hat.
Thanks everyone for the loves and for stopping in to admire my Dunlap & Co. top hat,
Judy
Bonnie
kivatinitz
Kyra
Pops
and
Mike
I do appreciate you all sincerely!!!
ho2cultcha ,
Thanks so much for the love and for stopping in. I do appreciate it very much!!
vetraio,
Thanks so very much for the appreciation and for stopping by. I do appreciate it!
Hi Scott, Silly me, I thought it was unusual that you could still buy special powder and brushes to clean hats like this!!! They make a great display, I love them!!
Thanks for sharing your tips, not that I ever expect to find a top hat here, but it would be nice to have one!!!!
Judy,
You never know when you might stumble across a nice top hat in your treasure hunts. Most of the really nice ones are way overpriced in my area, so I have to seek them out when I travel or tips from friends on where to find them.
Thanks so very much for the loves and for taking time to drop in and admire my Dunlap top hat,
vintagelamp
and
OneGoodFind
I do certainly appreciate you both very much!!
Alan,
Thanks so very much for the appreciation and for stopping by. Much appreciated!!!!
You wil be set for a fine game of Monopoly with that fancy silk top hat.
Scott you should totally do a dress up to look like your profile pic one day- silk hat, tailcoat, trunk in hand, pipe in mouth:)))ohlalala
Wonderful save Scott. The hat is fortunate it ended up with someone who knows what they are doing. I guess the wrecked hat box might have helped it survive a bit!
Great background on the Dunlap brand too!
fortapache,
Lol! Thanks friend! Thanks also for the appreciation and for stopping by. Very kindly appreciated!!
fleafinder,
Yep, wouldn't that be something:) Thanks for the fun comment, the love and for stopping in. Always greatly appreciated!!!!
Karen,
Thanks so much!! Yes, if it weren't for the dilapidated hat case protecting the hat, it would have never survived. Glad you enjoyed the history on Dunlap & Co. Thanks for the wonderful comment, the love and for stopping in. Always very sincerely appreciated!!!
Penny,
Thanks so very much for the love and for stopping by. I do appreciate it very much!
Looks amazing ! I had acquired a real love of these hats since you have been sharing your collection .
Thanks Mani!!
So glad you like it. I have quite a passion for collecting old top hats and already have, what seems to be, way too many in my collection:) I have trouble passing up a great top hat. I really hate to see these old beauties improperly handled and eventually trashed. Thanks for the comment, the love ad for stopping in. Always very greatly appreciated!!!
Dave,
Thanks very much for the appreciation and for stopping by. I do appreciate it very much!
Bensallright,
Thanks very much for the appreciation and for stopping in to check out my top hat. Very greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks very much for the appreciations and for stopping by
NevadaBlades
and
Roy
I do appreciate you both very much!!
Jean,
Thanks very much for the appreciation and for stopping in to check out my top hat. Very greatly appreciated!!!
What a wonderful find Scott! It must be especially gratifying to bring it back to its almost original condition :-)
Rick,
Many thanks!!! Yes, it is extremely gratifying to bring old items back to life, especially trunks and top hats. It's also my way of disconnecting from work at night time and weekends. Thanks for the appreciation and for taking time to drop by. Always appreciated my friend!!!
Thanks so very much for the loves and for stopping in
SEAN
and
ho2cultcha
I do appreciate you both!!
Ken,
Thanks very much for the love and for stopping in!!