Letterpress Printing a 125 year old woodcut for National Felt Hat Day (September 15)

Описание: September 15th is National Felt Hat Day! Today is the day, historically, that signals a shift in headwear based on the time of the year and the weather. By the early 1900s, short-brim straw hats, known as “boaters,” were considered acceptable day attire in cities at the height of summer. There was, however, an unwritten rule that one was not supposed to wear a straw hat past September 15. One should exchange their straw hat today for a felt hat until May 15 (National Straw Hat Day).

In honor of today, Howard printed a woodcut of a felt hat that many might not typically associate with a day like today. This cut is from the Lewis Winter Collection and was made roughly 125 years ago. Depicted in the print is a fez hat, a style of headwear that became a symbol of the Ottoman Empire in 1827. Fez caps are usually red felt with a black tassel. The term "fez" refers to the Moroccan city of Fez, where the dye used to color the hat was made from crimson berries. Later in the 19th century, many fraternal orders in the United States adopted fez caps, such as Shriners International, who made the fez the official cap for members in 1872. Much of the Lewis Winter Collection is woodcuts of clothing items so this was most likely created for a magazine or catalog.

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