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** This is an archived, static copy of the Casebook messages boards dating from 1998 to 2003. These threads cannot be replied to here. If you want to participate in our current forums please go to https://forum.casebook.org **
Hats
Casebook Message Boards: Witnesses: General Discussion:
Hats
Author: Diana
Sunday, 03 November 2002 - 09:11 pm |        | | I have realized that most of the witness' hat descriptions are meaningless to me. Some of them may be synonymous although using different words and I wouldn't know it. We have: 1.black felt hat (Emily Walter) 2. deerstalker (Mrs. Long, P.C. Smith) I assume ala Sherlock Holmes? 3.Billycock (Best and Gardner, Cox) 4. Peaked Cap (Marshall, Schwartz, Lawende) Thanks to a poster on another board I now know what that kind looks like. 5. Soft felt hawker hat (Packer) 6. Old black hard felt hat with wide brim (Schwartz -- Pipeman) 7. Dark hat turned down in middle (Hutchinson). Does anybody know their hats? |
Author: Christopher-Michael DiGrazia
Monday, 04 November 2002 - 12:48 pm | | Diana -
A billycock is what Americans call a 'derby' and Brits a 'bowler,' though the two are not completely synonymous, as a billycock is somewhat taller than a derby, but you get the idea. The dark hat turned down in middle sounds like a homburg to me; I may be mistaken, but look at the common Illustrated Police News drawing of Hutchinson's suspect to see what I mean. The old black hard felt hat with wide brim could be a number of things, but look at a Quaker hat to get a general idea of what such a thing might have been.
As far as the hawker hat is concerned, again, I apologise for being maddeningly vague, but believe this may or may not be a misreading of Packer's statement. The question was addressed a couple of years ago in Ripperana; I will try to find the issue and post the relevant exchange here.
With hopes you find some of this useful,
CMD |
Author: David O'Flaherty
Monday, 04 November 2002 - 01:02 pm | | Diana,
Last spring, someone posted a link to a hats website with illustrations of wideawakes, etc. Unfortunately, I've lost the address and cannot remember which thread this was in, but maybe it will turn up in a search or someone will repost the link.
Cheers,
Dave
(Edit: I can't remember whether this is the correct site, but if you want to know about period hats, these people should be able to help: You want hats? |
Author: Christopher T George
Monday, 04 November 2002 - 01:18 pm | | Hi, Dave, Diana, and CMD:
First, CM, I think this question about "hawker" hat is about the same badly written word in the Packer notes that has been variously interpreted as "hawker," "hunter," "quaker," or "Yankee." In a post of 27 November 2000 by Stewart to Martin Fido, he argues persuasively that the word is "Yankee" based on the fact that Swanson in his report on the Stride murder (HO 144/221/A49301C, folio 156, para. 2, line 6) clearly writes "Yankee." As Stewart said at that time, "a 'yankee hat' would, of course, be an American style stetson or wide-brimmed hat."
All the best
Chris |
Author: Ivor Edwards
Monday, 04 November 2002 - 05:47 pm | | Chrisopher,
And here was I thinking that a billycock was something to do with a goat !!! |
Author: Garry Ross
Monday, 04 November 2002 - 07:08 pm | | Ivor,
*comedy whistle*  (no pun intended...or was there?)
take care
Garry |
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