Here is the hat that begs the question: Why? Why make a hat out of candy? Answer: Because you can!
This and two other candy hats were displayed at the Martha Washington Hotel (according to a note at the bottom of the magazine page) in New York in the spring of 1916. The Martha Washington was the first hotel for women only. It opened in 1903 and is still in business today, though of course men can stay there too. It was renamed the Hotel Thirty Thirty, after its address at 30 East 30th Street.The article is from the April 1916 issue of Popular Mechanics, believe it or not (Google Books link here). And the postcard image of the Martha Washington is from NYPL Digital Gallery. The postcard gives the address as 29 East 29th Street - there were two entrances, one at 30 East 30th and one at 29 East 29th. There is also an interesting photograph of the Martha Washington at the website 14 to 42.
10 comments:
Maybe I'm weird, but this makes sense to me. Like, sugar, what a great medium for a hat! Though not at all functional. Can you imagine if that melted into your hair! Ugh.
As always, spectacular find! This post will be the "Featured Post" at Worth a Thousand Words.
Margie here. My sister bought a bunch of those hats. In fact, her favorite saying always was, " I'll eat my hat."
An amazing feat but can you imagine the bugs in the summer. Yikes
Bugs nothing. My son would latch on to a candy hat like a limpet, whether it was on someone's head or not.
As a seasoned mother trying to remove such substances as lollipop, toffee, caramel and gum from my son's hair, as well as a few substances I don't want to identify, I think I'll pass on the candy hat.
Bethany - Yes, it would be awkward towear, especially in the summer.
Chris - Thank you! :)
Margie - That must be the origin of the saying! Thanks for elucidating this!
Alicia - Yeah, his is the last thing I would wear, I don't even use scented hairspray in the summer. Am not fond of insects that fly around, especially near me.
Stephanie - At least it isn't a chewing gum hat! :)
Happy New Year.
One could indeed call this a "sweet-looking" hat and truly mean it...literally. It's obvious that tackiness wasn't limited to the 1970s: Fashion designers and/ or crackpots forever stretching the bounds of style and taste over that of reason and functionality.
Michael - Yes, that's what struck me too - this could easily have been done in the 60s, or now, too. Things weren't that different, after all (in some ways).
Happy New Year! Here's to a great 2009. Thanks for your visits, drops, and supportive comments. They mean a lot!
Maria - Same here, to everything! :)
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