updated 2 March 2016
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Dunlap & Co. made the two hats above. Pages from Dunlap's Spring and Summer catalog for 1912 are available from the Digital Collections of East Carolina University |
sample from Dunlap Catalog above |
Robert Dunlap was profiled in 1895 in America's Successful Men of Affairs Vol.1, Henry Hall, ed., New York Tribune, p. 208:
On page 638 of the following resource (scanned from the Diver collection) the following description of the Dunlap business is found:
178-180 Fifth Ave. R. Dulap & Co. main retail store site in Aug 2014 |
178-180 Fifth Avenue has a very interesting history. Daytonian in Manhattan relates tales not just about the building, but also about the people who lived there. Well worth your time to read it! The Daytonian explains that, "In 1920 Dunlap & Co. moved to No. 431 Fifth Avenue."
431 Fifth Ave., NYC 2nd home of Dunlap & Co. beginning 1920 Google Street View, Sept 2014 |
In 1885 Lockwood Press printed a booklet for Dunlap & Co.:
Read this title on archive.org |
Dunlap & Co. had its manufacturing plant in Brooklyn. It merged with Knox hat makers in 1918, which occupied this building:
Google Street View, Aug 2014 |
Main entrance, St. Marks Ave., June 2011 |
In 1932, Knox merged with Cavanagh-Dobbs to become the Hat Corporation of America. On 30 December 1964, the New York Times Reported:
"The nine‐story structure at 3 East 57th. Street has been named the Hat Corporation of America Building for the company that has leased the first five floors and the basement and mezzanine....
"Cavanagh Hats, a division of the Hat Corporation, will occupy the store, basement, mezzanine and second floor. The third, fourth and fifth floors will be used for wholesale showrooms and offices of several associated companies. Cavanagh Hats has been in temporaryquarters since moving from 245 Park Avenue which it had occupied for 38 years, until the building was demolished this year."
3 East 57th St. NYC Google Street View, July 2014 former Hat Corporation of America building |
Hat Corporation of America closed its Norwalk CT hat factory in 1970. Koracorp Industries Inc. purchased the rights to market and produce several of Hat Corporation's lines of hats including the Knox in 1972. This effectively ended hat production by Hat Corporation of America. Only seven years later, in September of 1979, Koracorp shareholders agreed to a merger with Levi-Strauss & Co. Levi-Strauss & Co. sold its Resistol Hat division to RHE of Richmond VA in 1985 as part of Levi-Strauss & Company's move to go from a publicly traded company to a private company. RHE has had several listings at various USA locations in the years since. This is the latest I could find via BizStanding:
RHE, INC. DBA RHE HATS, INC(inactive)
RHE, INC. DBA RHE HATS, INC(inactive)
Tracing corporate history is a complicated task. Please let me know if you have any corrections in the narrative above. There is always a twist. For instance, according to the "about us" page of Hatdirect, Inc., accessed 2 March 2016,
"HATCO® is the exclusive brand of HATDIRECT, INC. ....HATDIRECT, INC was established in 2000 and quickly became a global leader in the premium headwear industry. Creating headwear primarily for the young generation, HATDIRECT, INC has developed a notable reputation for producing quality caps that are distributed worldwide. HATDIRECT, INC. is based in Hackensack, New Jersey in the United States."
Does HATCO Garland TX have anything to do with Hatdirect? I'm not sure. That will have to be research for another day! (Most people get Mad Hatters' Disease because they handle mercury without adequate protection. Warning: Doing corporate research on hat companies may produce similar results.)
Learn how wool felt hats are made in the early 21st century!
After discussing Bollman Hat Company history for the first 9 minutes, Bollman Hat Company President Don Rongione leads us on a tour of the hat manufacturing plant:
"A walk through America's longest running hat factory with President and CEO, Don Rongione. From our American Made Matters initiative to how we make quality wool felt hats proudly in Adamstown, PA for over 143 years" - YouTube
19th century technique is described with sparse illustration in the following title available free online from archive.org:
The remaining card on this page of the Arnold scrapbook is a typical reward card for high-achieving students:
This is yours! Congratulations on having read this entire post! |
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This site includes historical materials that may contain negative stereotypes or language reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the historical record, and do not represent or in any way reflect the personal views of the author of this blog, his ancestors, or his family.

You'll "catch my ear"
--if you comment here--
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