Citizendia

Bowler hat 1916
Bowler hat 1916

The bowler hat (also known as a 'derby' or 'billycock'[1]) is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown created for Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester, in 1850. Hard or "hardness" may refer to Hardness, resistance of physical materials to change under force Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting condensing and pressing fibers A hat is a headcovering It may be worn for protection against the elements for religious reasons for safety or as a Fashion accessory. Thomas William Coke 2nd Earl of Leicester KG ( December 26 1822 &ndash January 24 1909) known as Viscount Coke from 1837 [2]

Contents

History

A display of new bowler hats for sale in 2005 (Portobello Market, London)
A display of new bowler hats for sale in 2005 (Portobello Market, London)

The bowler hat, known in the USA as the "Derby", was designed by the hatters James and George Lock of Mr. Portobello Road is a road in the Notting Hill district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in west London, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Lock of St. James's Street, a firm founded in 1676 and still in business. It was originally known as the "iron hat". The Locks sent their design to the hatmakers Thomas Bowler and his uncle William Bowler at their works in Southwark, London, and the Bowlers produced the prototype of the hat for Coke. Southwark or The Borough is an area of south-east London in the London Borough of Southwark, situated 1 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The "iron hat" later picked up the name Bowler because of its makers' family name. There are various theories as to why a hard hat was designed. It may have been to protect the head of a man on horseback against the danger of low tree branches whilst mounted. For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description Alternatively, some have suggested it was designed for the gamekeepers of Holkham Estate in North Norfolk, and was hard to protect them from being hit on the head by night-time poachers. For the comic book series see Guy Ritchie's Gamekeeper. A gamekeeper (often abbreviated to keeper) is a person who looks after Peaking in popularity towards the end of the 19th century it offered a midway between the formality of the top hat, associated with the upper classes, and the casual nature of soft flat hats worn by the working classes. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar For the item of clothing see Top hat. For the fictional TUGS character see Top Hat (TUGS. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. A flat cap is a rounded Cap generally male worn especially in England, with a small brim in front and a somewhat stiff peak in the back Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types

The bowler became a cultural identifier, ironically with two completely different meanings: throughout most of England it was associated with professional servants, e. g. butlers, and so upon seeing a man wearing a bowler in a pub or on the street, it was fairly safe to assume he was a "gentleman's gentleman," meaning a valet, manservant or butler; in London itself, however, it was associated with professionals, and so a man wearing a bowler in The City could safely be assumed to be a lawyer, stockbroker, banker or government official. A butler is a senior servant in a large Household. In the Great houses of the past the household was sometimes divided into departments with the butler Valet and Varlet are terms for Male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer The City as a linguistic term is a generic name used in various contexts to refer to a particular city A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person A stock broker or stockbroker is a qualified and regulated professional who buys and sells shares and other securities through Market makers or A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money As the traditional headwear of London city 'gents' it has become something of an English cultural icon. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or "gens" and "man" Cognate with the French word gentilhomme England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A cultural icon can be an Image, a Symbol, a Logo, Picture, Name, Face, Person, or Building The bowler was also to some extent adopted by the surrealist movement, particularly by Magritte, as an object which typified the absurdity of "normal life" and appeared in many surrealist paintings in one guise or another. Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members René François Ghislain Magritte ( 21 November 1898 - 15 August 1967) was a Belgian Surrealist artist

However, Englishmen stopped wearing hats as a matter of course in the 1960s, and most young English people in the 21st century have never seen a bowler hat worn as part of normal dress. The decline of the bowler is possibly linked to the rise in car ownership in the 1960s which would make it difficult to wear. It is, however, still commonly seen worn at some formal public events, such as by town councillors at Armistice Day ceremonies. Armistice Day is the anniversary of the symbolic end of World War I on 11 November, 1918. It is also traditionally worn by members of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland during their 12 July annual parades, though usage has declined. The Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order or the Orange Lodge, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The Battle of the Boyne (Cath na Bóinne was a turning point in the Williamite claim on the English throne A bowler hat was once worn by the gaffer of a team of furniture removers although this tradition has died out. GAFFER (Goals And Footballs For East Africa Region is a grassroots Soccer organisation which aims to provide good quality community-owned sporting infrastructure (equipment A moving company, removalist, or van line is a company that helps people and businesses relocate their goods from one place to another

In the United States and England, this hat is also known as a derby hat, after Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, founder in 1780 of the Epsom Derby. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Edward Smith-Stanley 12th Earl of Derby ( 12 December 1752 &ndash 21 October 1834) was a British peer and politician of the late The Derby Stakes, known colloquially as The Derby or internationally as the Epsom Derby, is considered one of the most prestigious flat Thoroughbred horse races The cultural significance in the United States was slightly different. Though certainly not exclusively so, the derby tended to be associated with urban culture, and particularly with the well-to-do that had risen from the working class. Hence, it was often seen on the heads of "machine politicians", urban Irish-descended "ward heelers" and others, and so often appears in movies, comic books and comic strips of the 1930s and 1940s as a silent signal that the wearer is of this group. Al Smith, who exemplified the urban Tammany politician of the 1920s, was often seen in his distinctive derby: typically, men's full-sized derbies are black, but Al Smith always wore a brown derby. Alfred Emanuel Smith Jr, known in private and public life as Al Smith, ( December 30, 1873 - October 4, 1944) was elected Governor

A small bowler hat worn at an angle is typically referred to as a "gruff hat" or "pickle hat".

In Germany, the hat is known as Melone (melon), due to its shape. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Similarly in France it is known as "chapeau melon".

It has also been worn by Quechua and Aymara women in Peru and Bolivia since the 1920s when supposedly a shipment of bowler hats was sent from Europe to Bolivia via Peru for use by Europeans who were working on the construction of the railroad. Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. The Aymara are a native Ethnic group in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America; about 1 Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. The hats were found to be too small and were distributed to locals. The luxurious, elegant and cosmopolitan Aymara Chola dress which is an icon to Bolivia (bowler hat, Manila Shawl, heavy pollera (a type of skirt) with petticoats, boots, jewelry, etc. A Pollera is a big Spanish Skirt worn by women almost a century ago A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped Garment that hangs from the Waist and covers all or part of the Legs In European culture, skirts are usually A petticoat or underskirt is an article of Clothing for Women; specifically an Undergarment to be worn under a Skirt, dress or ) was born and evolved in Chukiago City and it is clearly not provincial but urban. The dress has become an ethnic symbol for the Aymara women. In addition, numerous Aymara live and work as campesinos in the surrounding Altiplano. The Altiplano ( Spanish for high plain) where the Andes are at their widest is the most extensive area of High plateau on earth outside

Famous wearers

Notes

  1. ^ Hat Glossary
  2. ^ Fred Miller Robinson, The Man in the Bowler Hat: His History and Iconography (Chapel Hill and London: The University of North Carolina Press, 1993). p. 15.

References

Dictionary

bowler hat

-noun

  1. A hard round black felt hat with a narrow brim; no longer commonly worn
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