Surratt House Docents

[Rick Smith]

   

(12-01-2016 09:54 PM)Dave Taylor Wrote:  I wanted to send out a big thank you to Rick Smith who was kind enough to send me a slouch hat just like the one John Wilkes Booth was photographed in.



Rick taught me everything I needed when I was getting my costume together for my John Wilkes Booth in the Woods reenactment. He's a gentleman, a scholar, and a darned snappy dresser!

Thanks, Rick!

Dave,

You are most welcome and thanks for the kind words.

Glad to see the hat arrived safely. It looks very good on you.

The hat is a style called "Mosby" by hat maker Bill Wickham, better known as "Dirty Billy." He has a very nice hat shop in Gettysburg. Another hat maker, Tim Bender, refers to this hat style as a flat crowned bowler. I spoke with Tim awhile ago with regard to slouch hats. Tim said that the term "slouch" is a condition, as opposed to a style. A "slouch" or "slouched" hat is one that has seen much use and become soft and comfortable. Men's 19th century head wear was finished and shaped with heavy applications of shellac, so a new hat would feel hard. This hardness lessens due to wear and weather.

Here I am wearing one of Tim Bender's Flat Crowned Mosby hats.

Rick

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(12-02-2016 11:15 AM)Rick Smith Wrote:  [quote='Dave Taylor' pid='62357' dateline='1480647262']
I wanted to send out a big thank you to Rick Smith who was kind enough to send me a slouch hat just like the one John Wilkes Booth was photographed in.



Rick taught me everything I needed when I was getting my costume together for my John Wilkes Booth in the Woods reenactment. He's a gentleman, a scholar, and a darned snappy dresser!

Thanks, Rick!

Dave,

You are most welcome and thanks for the kind words.

Glad to see the hat arrived safely. It looks very good on you.

The hat is a style called "Mosby" by hat maker Bill Wickham, better known as "Dirty Billy." He has a very nice hat shop in Gettysburg. Another hat maker, Tim Bender, refers to this hat style as a flat crowned bowler. I spoke with Tim awhile ago with regard to slouch hats. Tim said that the term "slouch" is a condition, as opposed to a style. A "slouch" or "slouched" hat is one that has seen much use and become soft and comfortable. Men's 19th century head wear was finished and shaped with heavy applications of shellac, so a new hat would feel hard. This hardness lessens due to wear and weather.

Here I am wearing one of Tim Bender's Flat Crowned Mosby hats.

Rick
[/quote

That didn't work out very well. I will send the photo to Roger for posting.