1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy Vie Wilson. So the 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: straw hat Riot of two is a very strange piece 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: of history. For one, there's no clear reason for it. Uh, 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: we don't really know how it started, and even the 7 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: way it was perceived at the time seems to have 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: been a mix of mild irritation, a little bit of 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: boys will be boys permissiveness, and then some outright frustration 10 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: and anger. Uh. And while there are news articles from 11 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: the time about how things played out, there are still 12 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: some pretty big gaps and we'll talk about those. But uh, 13 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: it all centered around the boater hat. So I thought 14 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: it might be fun to kind of look at this 15 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: topic from a really wide angle, starting with just how 16 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: straw hats came in to Western culture and developed, and 17 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: then how the boater became so important to men's fashion 18 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: in the early twentieth century, all leading to this very 19 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: strange conflict that, while it's often called a riot singular, 20 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: actually played out over the course of several nights in 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: New York. We don't really know when straw was first 22 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: used as a material to make hats in Western culture. 23 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 1: The lack of historical knowledge on this subject is probably 24 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: because for a long time, at least in Europe, using 25 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: those kinds of materials was really something confined to the 26 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: lower classes. But there are mentions of plant based materials 27 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: used for hat making as far back as ancient Rome, 28 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: including depictions of the Goddess Era in a tall hat 29 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: made a braided grasses in an early Greek and Roman writing. 30 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: But there really isn't much in the way of detail 31 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: in any of these writings or visual depictions. They're just 32 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: kind of named and then they move on. We can 33 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: pick up the thread in European history as far back 34 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: as fourteen fifty nine and an English night Sir John 35 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: Fastoff died in one written description of his spinal moments, 36 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: straw hats are specifically mentioned. From that point on, straw 37 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,399 Speaker 1: headwear became more and more commonly mentioned in literature, including 38 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: in the works of William Shakespeare, Edmund Spencer, and Samuel Peeps. 39 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: These hats became increasingly common in paintings as well. Yeah, 40 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: that that note just says that he is possessed of 41 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: straw and hats. I don't know if he was wearing 42 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: them or just had them nearby. Maybe he had so 43 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: many hats that it was particularly worthy of note he 44 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: was that hat guy. I feel like when I go 45 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: people will be like she had a lot of high tops. Um. 46 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: Some sources claim that Mary, Queen of Scott's, brought straw 47 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: hats to Scotland in the fifteen fifties and from there 48 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: that fashion traveled throughout the British Isles. But uh, I 49 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: was looking at a book called Straw Hats, Their History 50 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: and manufest Acture, which was published in Nino, and in it, 51 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: author Henry Inwards makes the case that while woven straw 52 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: hats were already known in the region at the time, 53 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: plated or braided styles of straw hats may have in 54 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: fact traveled from France with Mary when she journeyed to Scotland. 55 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: If you grew up where I did, you may also 56 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: say that plattid. Yes, I have heard it both ways. Uh. 57 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: And just to be clear, it's like they kind of 58 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: braid the fibers into, you know, a braid, and then 59 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: that those braids are sewn together to create the hat. 60 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: Straw hats for women were rated as a necessity by six, 61 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: and that was in the book The Ladies Dictionary, being 62 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: a General entertainment for the fair Sex, a work never 63 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: attempted before in English. After that, straw hats for women 64 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: weren't just commonly mentioned in Western literature and depicted in paintings. 65 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: They were seen virtually everywhere. Those styles and millinary techniques 66 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: used to make them really varied widely by location. Even 67 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: the materials used were completely different from one region to another, 68 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: depending on what local grass or straw was most abundant. Originally, 69 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: most of these hats used the fiber pretty much exactly 70 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: as it grew from the earth, but plated or platted 71 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: straw hats created this way could quickly become heavy and burdensome, 72 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: and so to lighten the load, enterprising hat makers eventually 73 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: started pulling the outer sheath of the straw away, leaving 74 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: the lighter and more pliable interior to work with. Another 75 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: approach to improving on the raw materials involved splitting straws 76 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: down the middle lengthwise with a knife. At some point, 77 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: braids were also created that used these two halves of 78 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: the straw placed together again after cutting, and that retained 79 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: the same amount of material, but made it a lot 80 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: easier to plat the straw and create finer work. As 81 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: these experiments with straw for hats continued, two branches of 82 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: the technique developed split straw or hole straw, and in 83 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: addition to giving milliners options regarding the pliability and the 84 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: weight of the hats, the decorative uses for straw on 85 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: the hats opened up. Yeah, you'll also see developing along 86 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: these times what's called straw work embroidery that was sometimes 87 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: used on gowns as a fun fact for people that 88 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: like film costumes. Uh, the wedding dresses in the angle 89 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: sense and sensibility have straw work embroidery on them. Um, 90 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: if you ever get to see those in real life, 91 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: they're quite pretty. I love that movie. Yeah, me too. Um. 92 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: But yes, so straw was being used on hats and 93 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: that kind of embroidery in this idea that it could 94 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: be more than just a functional thing, but also something 95 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: that could be turned into some really delicate shapes and 96 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,840 Speaker 1: and some really beautiful decorative work was also happening, and 97 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: soon a wider range of fibers started to become available 98 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: for what we're still generally called straw hats. Even though 99 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: many different things were used, and that was thanks to 100 00:05:55,640 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: global trade. So eventually raphaie, bamboo, hemp, and even silk 101 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: that was made into stiff ribbons were all used in 102 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 1: what we're called straw hats, particularly in England where this 103 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: really became a huge industry. And then it took advantage 104 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: of all of those techniques that had been developed over 105 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 1: centuries just using local grasses, and then they were basically 106 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 1: applying these new materials to those techniques. And Great Britain 107 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: had emerged as the nexus of straw hat manufacturer by 108 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: the eighteenth century, but then in the mid nineteenth century, 109 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: other countries that had developed their own straw hat industries 110 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: began exporting to Great Britain. Bonnets were the most popular 111 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: straw hats style of the late eighteen fifties in early 112 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: eighteen sixties, and the ones made in Switzerland, France and 113 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: Italy in particular were often very ornate and embellished beautifully, 114 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: and that really put a dent in Britain's hat industry. 115 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,239 Speaker 1: Then imports from China and Japan started to arrive, Asian 116 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 1: countries had been using grasses and straw and braided goods 117 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: long before this idea caused on in Europe, so their 118 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: work was really excellent, even when they were building on 119 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: designs that had originated in Europe. Even the raw materials 120 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: imported from other countries displaced locally grown grasses, the material 121 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: of choice in British hat makers. This was a very 122 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: real threat to the livelihoods of many tradespeople in Britain 123 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 1: at the time. While milliners worked with all kinds of 124 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: materials to create hats, platters who specifically worked with straw 125 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: and grass to create hats, we're being displaced and so 126 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: as a form of solution in the British Straw Plotting 127 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: Company was created to try to find a solution to 128 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: this problem and reduce the likelihood that an entire workforce 129 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: would find itself without income. This company basically leveraged the 130 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: fact that it was a cooperative effort of many hat 131 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: makers who would all promote straw hats and place orders 132 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: with local craftspeople to give straw hat making in their 133 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: home country a shot in the arm. That worked, at 134 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: least briefly, as new designs emerged and the platters made 135 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: an effort to really compete with the work that was 136 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: coming into Britain from other countries, but importers also wanted 137 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: to compete and they started slashing their prices. By the 138 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: end of the British Straw Platting Company was out of business. 139 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: It was just too expensive to produce hats in Britain 140 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: compared to making them in other places. Additionally, this craft 141 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: of making hats had changed, so starting in the mid 142 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:33,959 Speaker 1: eighteen sixties, various techniques were developed to sow braided straw 143 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: into shapes by machine rather than by hand, and over 144 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: the course of just a few years, machine stitched straw 145 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: hats were the standard, and hand stitching was only done 146 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: on very coarse materials that just weren't suitable to run 147 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: through a machine, and soon sewing machine manufacturers were all 148 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: offering their own machines that could stitch plats together to 149 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: create hats. Over the years, many many different styles of 150 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: hat were developed, both for women and for men, and 151 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: one of these hats for men, the boater, is the 152 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: focus of the rest of this episode. We will get 153 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: right into that after we pause for a word from 154 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 1: one of the sponsors that keeps stuffy missed in history 155 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 1: class going. So the voter hat, just in case you 156 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: are not familiar with it, is a flat topped hat 157 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: with straight sides and a very flat brim, and it's 158 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: usually made with plaid straw stitched together in a spiral 159 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: and then blocked onto a form, and around the base 160 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: of the crown is a ribbon, which in modern era 161 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 1: you usually see a striped ribbon for a long time. 162 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: In its earlier inception, the ribbon was usually black, and 163 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: while boaters are still seen today, the origin of this 164 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: hat style is reportedly different depending on source. Everything from 165 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: eight two to the eighteen eighties is mentioned as the 166 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: advent of the boater. In all likelihood, this was probably 167 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: because there were boater like hats on their early end 168 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: of that time scale, and they started to look more 169 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 1: like what we would call a voter as time went on, 170 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: so I think that is probably why there is some 171 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: discrepancy there. In the United States, the voter became more 172 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: and more popular starting in the late eighteen hundreds, first 173 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: with younger hat wearers and then with middle classmen, and 174 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: by the nineteen twenties voters were practically required as summer 175 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: men's wear. They offered shade and were cooler temperature wise 176 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: than felt hats were. Yeah, every well dressed gentleman always 177 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: had his voter in the summer, and a cultural rule 178 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: began for men of wearing a voter from May fifteenth 179 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: to September fift This a lot like the idea of 180 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: not wearing white after Labor Day, just kind of became 181 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: accepted and adhered to by the majority of New Yorkers. 182 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: In particular. It was throughout the country, but New York 183 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: was very serious about this whole thing. A September article 184 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: in the New York Times, with the byline of the 185 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 1: initials E. A. J. Skewered the entire social convention of 186 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: these hat calendar rules. It read, is it not written 187 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: in the Great Book of the Herd? On May fifteen, 188 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: shalman don the straw, being authorized by long and accredited tradition, 189 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: And on September fifteen, shall man doff the same or 190 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,439 Speaker 1: be judged a mocker of the herd Gods. This article 191 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: goes on to cite the statistic that of all hats 192 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: sales take place during just two separate weeks of the year, 193 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: one in May and one in September. Yeah, there is 194 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: a subtle side I in that article that has cast 195 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: towards the hat trade as maybe being the people that 196 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: are stirring this whole thing up. There is some very 197 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 1: subtle but really their racism to it, because most uh 198 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: hat sellers and haberdashers were Jewish at the time in 199 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,839 Speaker 1: New York. Um. But yeah, there is this suggestion of like, 200 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: you have just stirred this whole thing up so you 201 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: can make a ton of money two weeks of the year. 202 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: But this tradition or social law had this element, not 203 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 1: unlike the deeply irritating practice that still sometimes takes place 204 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 1: here in the US of pinching people on St. Patrick's 205 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: Day if they aren't wearing green. There's a lot to 206 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: unpack there. But in short, that whole thing is so wrong. 207 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: Please don't ever do that. If you do it, I 208 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: can't promise that I won't enact some sort of cruelty 209 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 1: to you, uh if I witness it. But in New York, 210 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: the way this played out is that if a man 211 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,719 Speaker 1: was wearing a straw hat after September fift it was 212 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: common and really kind of accepted for a kid to 213 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: whip it off his head and stop it in the street. Again, 214 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: don't do stuff like that. Uh. This was generally an 215 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: issue of irritating shenanigans. But it was not seen as 216 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: especially dangerous, But then in Nineto things did get out 217 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: of hand. Before things boiled over in September of that year, 218 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: there had been an article in the New York Times 219 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: on May seven titled straw Hats for ninety two. It 220 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: outline mind just how serious a man had to be 221 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 1: about his voter. This article opened with quote, the choice 222 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: of your straw hat this year will require more serious 223 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: thought and consideration than formerly. And that article discussed the 224 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: wide range of voters that had become available, and that 225 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: no properly dressed gentleman could get by with just one 226 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: hat for the season. The China split straw style was 227 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: preferred for evening attire and the Panama style for semi dress. 228 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 1: If you were going out for a round of golf, 229 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: the leghorn straw hat was the proper choice. Even the 230 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: shade of the straw, the article advised, had to be 231 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,479 Speaker 1: carefully considered. The writer advised that the public needed education 232 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: about how to properly care for a straw hat, and 233 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: also extolled the virtues of American hats. French hats were 234 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: deemed too fanciful, English hats were too heavy and prone 235 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: to discoloration. But there is a particular paragraph in that 236 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: article which kind of jumps out in retrospect. It opens 237 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: with less attention will be paid this year to the 238 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: conventional dates for putting on and taking off straw hats, 239 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: and then it concludes with this season, the temperature will 240 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: be the chief arbiter of fashions. This could not have 241 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: been more wrong. The trouble started on September, two days 242 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: before the random and completely arbitrary date of September that 243 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: had been set down as the socially accepted end of 244 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: straw hat wearing season. The New York Times reported quote 245 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: on the theory that September is the last day of 246 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: straw hat season and that they had the right to 247 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: declare open season on straw hats on other person's heads. 248 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: Scores of rowdies on the East Side and in other 249 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: parts of the city started smashing hats last evening. They 250 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: were snatching the hats from the heads of the wearers 251 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: and then smashing them in the street or throwing them 252 00:14:52,960 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: onto bonfires. Yeah, there are some accounts that this actually 253 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: kind of got a little bit of fuel from the 254 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: fact that like kids who were normally doing this sort 255 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: of thing because I thought it was fun. Again, you 256 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: can hear the disdain in my voice. I'm sure Um 257 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: had actually gone after a group of dock workers, and 258 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: the dock workers fought back, and that kind of fueled 259 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: this whole like tension and and anger about it, and 260 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: that's kind of what sparked this to get bigger than 261 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: it was. I read that in a few places. I 262 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: didn't find hard confirmation of it, so just f y 263 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: I if you see that, that's the scoop. But from 264 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: the night of the thirteen, seven men were apprehended and 265 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: they were brought before Magistrate Peter A. Hatting. That name 266 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: is just a really nice coincidence, and he found them 267 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: all guilty, and he find each of them five dollars. 268 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: But he was serious that he did not like any 269 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: of this business. He was adamant that he was not 270 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: going to be so lenient going forward of people brought 271 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: into his night court for hat snatching and stomping. He 272 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: gave this statement in the courtroom, and it was printed 273 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: in the Times on September quote, it is against the 274 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: law to smash a man's hat, and he has the 275 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 1: right to wear it in a January snowstorm if he wishes. 276 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: To hit a man's hat is simple assault, and in 277 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: this court it will be treated as such. And I 278 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: want you to spread this word among all who would 279 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: smash hats. A man's hat is just as much his 280 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: property and as just as much to be defended as 281 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: his watch, and the courts are going to enforce the laws. 282 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: But Magistrate Hattings warning did not really have the desired effect, 283 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: because there were more attacks the night of the fourteenth, 284 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: and one headline the next day read Boy's scalp straw hatted, 285 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: and it mentioned that the reason for the riot was 286 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 1: quote yet undiscovered. No one knew why this was going on. 287 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: On the fifte the New York Times ran an editorial 288 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: that supported Hatting's position. Editorial also mentioned that it wasn't 289 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: clear where this entire social law had even come from, 290 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: and that quote, its enforcement is left to boys and 291 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:04,040 Speaker 1: others with undeveloped minds who delight in destruction for its 292 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: own sake, especially when it is accompanied by noise and excitement, 293 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 1: and when it makes somebody else angry. This reminds me 294 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: of so many sports riots. The writer also went on 295 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 1: to note that a man should quote fight if he can, 296 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: and call the police if he can't, and then on 297 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: the night of the fifteenth, the rioting intensified. The New 298 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: York Times September coverage of the previous night opened with 299 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:35,200 Speaker 1: this line, Gangs of young hoodlums ran riot in various 300 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: parts of the city last night, smashing unseasonable straw hats 301 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: and trampling them in the street. The article describes mobs, 302 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: some including hundreds of boys and young men, prowling city 303 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: blocks looking for straw hat wearers to punish. Anytime the 304 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: police were called and showed up on a scene to 305 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: break up these mobs, they would disperse, only to reform elsewhere. 306 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: Shortly thereafter. The New Or Tribune reported quote boys who 307 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: were guided by the calendar rather than the weather, and 308 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: most of all by their own trouble making proclivities, indulged 309 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: in a straw hat smashing orgy throughout the city last night. 310 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: A dozen or more were arrested, and seven were spanked 311 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: ignominiously by their parents in the East one fourth Street 312 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 1: Police Station by order of the Lieutenant of the desk. 313 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: There's lots of unpack there too. There is there's a 314 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: lot to unpack in terms of social norms throughout this episode. 315 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: Uh So sticks with nails run through the tips, where 316 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 1: the weapons of choice for some of these boys and 317 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: young men who were forcing men that they encountered on 318 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: the street to basically run a gauntlet of them in 319 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: the hopes that their nails would snag the hats. Obviously, 320 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: this is also incredibly dangerous because it's a sharp object 321 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: that you're waving at somebody's head. There were also sneak 322 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 1: attacks where unsuspecting pedestrians were jumped by one or two 323 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,160 Speaker 1: boys at a time. On the street car track song 324 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,639 Speaker 1: Christopher Street, lines of boys and young men waited by 325 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: the tracks and snatched hats from the passengers as they 326 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,199 Speaker 1: passed by. According to the statement of a man named E. C. Jones, 327 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:13,640 Speaker 1: has Amsterdam Avenue street car was boarded by a group 328 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:18,360 Speaker 1: of boys at nine pm on September. These boys attacked 329 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: passengers and then rejoined a mob that Jones estimated to 330 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: be as large as a thousand people, a number that 331 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: seems pretty unlikely, but at this point is impossible to 332 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 1: fact check. And we're going to talk a little bit 333 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: more about how things played out on the night of September, 334 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: but first we're going to take a quick break for 335 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: a word from one of our sponsors. So on the 336 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: night of September fift in the midst of all of 337 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: this hat smashing, one particularly bad spot was the area 338 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,639 Speaker 1: arranging from A hundred and second to streets in Manhattan 339 00:19:55,720 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: along Third, Lexington, and Park Avenues. In particular, eight boys 340 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: is from a group of ten to twelve were apprehended 341 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: by two policemen. Those policemen were named Lamore and King, 342 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: and they had spotted the kids running from a doorway 343 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: with sticks in their hand. And though the captured boys 344 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: were taken into the station at East hundred and fourth Street, 345 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: none of them were formally charged because they were all 346 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 1: younger than fifteen, but they didn't get a lecture. They 347 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 1: were told they would be put in a cell if 348 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: they were hauling again, and once again spanking was recommended 349 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 1: to their parents when they came to collect kids. We'll 350 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: just keep unpacking all of the weirdness of this entire situation. 351 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 1: It's weirdly ironic that we are recording this episode today 352 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: because I think it is this week that one of 353 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 1: like the National Pediatrics Associations was like, do not spank 354 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:47,119 Speaker 1: your children. It is bad. An incident on a street 355 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 1: sent twenty five year old Henry Gerber to the hospital. 356 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 1: Gerbert tried to fight back when a group of boys 357 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,719 Speaker 1: tried to take his hat, but he was overpowered. There 358 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: were a lot more of them. He was beaten and 359 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: kicked and left on the street. Yes, so that advice 360 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: about fighting back maybe not so good. On d and 361 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:10,120 Speaker 1: Second Street, acting detective Sergeant brend Daz, remember that name, 362 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 1: was jumped by a gang who threw his hat into 363 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 1: the street, and he tried to give chase, but he 364 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:18,719 Speaker 1: tripped and he fell. He didn't manage to make one arrest. 365 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: He arrested a man named Leo Cohen, who was not 366 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: a boy. He was a grown man of age thirty four, 367 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:28,400 Speaker 1: and Cohen was booked on a disorderly conduct charge. Uh 368 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 1: Cohen was actually discharged by a judge after denying the 369 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: charge that he had tripped brind d Z. Incidentally, the 370 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,360 Speaker 1: New York Tribune wrote up that same story, but with 371 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: a few notable differences. The detective is listed as Roco 372 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: brun Doozy, not brind Dizzy. The man he arrested is 373 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: listed as Sigmund Cone, who was a special policeman. He 374 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: was not part of the riots, but brend Daz arrested 375 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: him for tripping him as quote, interfering with an officer 376 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: in the discharge of his uty charge. The Tribunes coverage 377 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: also indicated that the police were not especially concerned about 378 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: all of this hat snatching. They quote were inclined to 379 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,719 Speaker 1: regard their activities lightly. That they're being uh the boys 380 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: and young men who were doing this, and that is 381 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 1: until plain clothes officers got jumped, and then things started 382 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: to get a little more serious with the police. Sixteen 383 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,119 Speaker 1: year old Morris psycho Witz, who was a resident of 384 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: East hundred and seventieth Street, was apprehended by the man 385 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: he and his friends tried to attack. When the group 386 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: approached Harry old Baum at one sixteenth and Lexington, they 387 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: managed to get his hat, but old Bound fought back 388 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: and ended up chasing several of the young men until 389 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: he caught psycho Witz and Psycho Wits got a disorderly 390 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: conduct charge. But when psycho Witz went directly before Magistrate 391 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 1: Peter A hatting at night Court, he was about to 392 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: be sentenced to jail time when a surprising thing happened. 393 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: His victim, old Baum, moved by the presence of Psychowitz's 394 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: elder we mother intervened, and he actually asked the judge 395 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: to be lenient a magistrate. Hatting agreed to this, but 396 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: he was adamant that he would jail the next hat hoodlum, 397 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: adding quote, I intend to see that citizens are protected 398 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: in their property. Hatting was true to his word on this. 399 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: The next case he saw was that of a silverman 400 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: who had been charged with smashing straw hats after Abraham 401 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 1: Burnbaum had filed a complaint against him. Silverman was sentenced 402 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: to three days in jail for hat snatching and destruction. 403 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 1: So one of the incidents of the night of September fifteen, 404 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 1: as reported by the New York Times, is to me 405 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: a little bit confusing in its wording. So their report reads, 406 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: quote John Sweeney, ten of three sixty three West sixteenth Street, 407 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: ran into an automobile driven by John Montfort of four 408 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 1: eleven East nineteenth Street while John and the other boys 409 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,919 Speaker 1: were enjoying the hat smashing sport on seventh Avenue between 410 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,239 Speaker 1: seventeenth and eighteenth Streets. His right egg was broken. He 411 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,120 Speaker 1: was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment. So it sounds 412 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,919 Speaker 1: like this kid collided with a car while he was 413 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: on foot. But because both the child and the driver 414 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: were named John, and perhaps also because the paper maybe 415 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,640 Speaker 1: didn't want there to be any indication that the car 416 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 1: hit the child, but rather the child was responsible for 417 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: running into the car. It reads a little weird. You 418 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: don't often see a person on foot described as running 419 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 1: into a car. It is worth noting that hat stores 420 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: stayed open long past their normal closing times during all 421 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: of this, so that gentlemen could come in and purchase 422 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:41,240 Speaker 1: appropriate autumn headwear and the stave off being attacked for 423 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: their straw hats. These stores did a massive business during 424 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: this time. Over the next several nights, the straw hat 425 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: riots slowly died down. While the following years had some 426 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: level of this strange hat vigilante behavior, it was not 427 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: on the level of the riot. Just a few years later, 428 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: on September, the New York Times ran a brief article 429 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: with the headline discard date for straw hats ignored by 430 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 1: President Coolidge. The blur mentioned that the President had worn 431 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: a straw hat with a black brim on both the 432 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 1: eighteenth and the nineteenth of the month, and no one 433 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: snatched it from his head or stopped it to pieces. 434 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: And that is a very weird moment in New York 435 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:29,239 Speaker 1: is it is very weird. It just strikes me as 436 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 1: so completely strange, and one of those things that I 437 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 1: think sometimes when you read modern articles about it, it 438 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: kind of gets sensationalized to be like this crazy brawl. 439 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: Like I said that one account of of the dock 440 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: workers being involved suggested that there was a brawl and 441 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:50,880 Speaker 1: it actually stopped traffic on the Manhattan Bridge. I don't 442 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: know if that were true or not, but yeah, it's 443 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 1: often depicted as though it was like this wild, maniacal thing, 444 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: and it is interesting that some of the news are 445 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 1: portrait like the police thought it was funny until some 446 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: of their guys got jumped, so it clearly was not 447 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 1: really considered like a terrifying riot or anything more like 448 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: this bizarre inconvenience of hot smashing of hat smashing and man, 449 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,400 Speaker 1: don't smash my closure accessories, I will come for you. 450 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: I can think of a very very very few circumstances 451 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 1: when it might be appropriate to smash someone's hat, Like 452 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: if someone hat on a hat bearing a lot of 453 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 1: racist slogans, sure, maybe it might be okay to smash 454 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 1: that hat, but not if they're wearing a hat after September. Well, 455 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: especially because I mean, like we mentioned earlier on in 456 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: the episode, these were great options for warm days because 457 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: they were a little cooler, but they still let you 458 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: get some shade and be you know, presentable and wearing 459 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: a hat, which was very, very important at the time 460 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,440 Speaker 1: for men. Uh So, why you gotta be a jerk? 461 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: And it could be really really warm in New York 462 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: like well into the autumn. Yes, in October sometimes it 463 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: is hot in New York. So those kids are jerks, 464 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: That's what that's my sonation. I have two pieces of 465 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: listener mail, one because it involves being a snappy dresser 466 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: like wearing a hat, although it does not involve a 467 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: hat specifically, and uh and then a second one. I'll 468 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:24,639 Speaker 1: we'll read the snappy dresser one first. It is from 469 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,680 Speaker 1: our listener Sarah. She says, I'm listening to your episode 470 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: on Bob Hope and I thought I would share this 471 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: picture of my grandfather, who passed away this August. Here 472 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: he is looking dapper with my sister in When I 473 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: posted this on Instagram, my dad told me the story 474 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 1: that when Pop Hop was in the army during World 475 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: War Two, Carrie Grant came to entertain the troops. This 476 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 1: was part of the USO, which was also part of 477 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: that Bob Hope episode, and he got a seat right 478 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 1: up front, and he said he felt like a shlub 479 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,199 Speaker 1: in his uniform compared to the well dressed grant and 480 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 1: he decided that when he got out of the army 481 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:59,160 Speaker 1: he would start dressing like that too, and he did 482 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:02,119 Speaker 1: for the rest of his life. Not super relevant, but 483 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoyed this picture of my beloved grandfather 484 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,719 Speaker 1: and my sister wearing one of his sweaters. Uh. He 485 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: is indeed a snappy dresser. Um. And that is a 486 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 1: really beautiful, fun story and a gorgeous picture, So thank 487 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,400 Speaker 1: you so much for sharing that, Sarah Um. Our other 488 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:18,280 Speaker 1: listener mail that I have today is a little bit 489 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 1: of a gear change from that. It is about our 490 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:24,879 Speaker 1: Princess Sofia uh tragedy episode. It is from our listener Lisa, 491 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: and it is piece of physical mail, and Lisa writes 492 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: on an absolutely adorable auto card, I love your show. 493 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for the informative, entertaining podcast. I 494 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,159 Speaker 1: recently listened to your episode on the Princess Sofia and 495 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: then I happened to be in Juneo, Alaska on the 496 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 1: one anniversary, and I went to an opera about the tragedy. 497 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 1: I think you now have many more listeners from Alaska. 498 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: Thank you for all your work. And she very sweetly 499 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 1: sent us her program from the opera. So has that 500 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: in the office the next time Tracy is here, because 501 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: I know she will love to see it. Uh. It's 502 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: very cool. If you would like to write to us, 503 00:28:57,840 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: you can do so at History podcast at how to 504 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 1: works dot com. You can also find us pretty much 505 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: everywhere on social media as missed in History, and you 506 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: can find back episodes of every show and show notes 507 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: for every episode Tracy and I have worked on on 508 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: our website Missed in History dot com. You can subscribe 509 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: to stuff you missed in History class on Apple podcast, 510 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,200 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, or wherever you get podcasts. 511 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, visit 512 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: how staff works dot com. M