Figure 1.--This cabinet card shiws annunidentified English boys wearig a velvet suit. His huge wide-brimmed hat does not look like a straw hat, although we are not sure what material was used. We know who the photohoher was. but even if we did not, would know it was not American. An American boy would have worn knww pants and long stockings. The srudio was J. Houghton in New Wortley, Leeds.

Another characteristic to consider with wide-brimmed hats is the material used for wide-brimmed hats. Most were straw hats. Almost all of the American broad brimmed hats were sreaw hats. This seens to be the case in other countries as well. And the vast majority of the English hats were broad-brimmed hats Nor all, but certainly most. Straw is the ideal if not the only material suitable for wide brimmed hats. Any other material did not maintain its stiffness very well over time--especially for hats with such broad brimmms. These broad brimmed hats had wider brimns even then the famous Stetsons, at leastvrelatively as the boys weatingbthem were sommuch smaller than briad shoulder Texans. And notice how Stetsons over time lost their shape. We see a few English hats which did not seem to be done in straw. This is a little difficult to assess from a photograph. But we note a few images that do not kook like they were done in straw, although it is a little difficult to make out just what material was used.

Created: 7:51 PM 8/12/2018
Last updated: 7:51 PM 8/12/2018