Saturday 21 July 2018

Bad Scholars Hat

Dunce's hat



The dunce's hat was given to children in Victorian schools as a punishment to pupils who were disruptive, clowned around and did not want to learn.


The hat was traditionally a tall white cardboard cone and painted with a big D or the word dunce.


As well as wearing the hat the children were made to stand in a corner and left to be mocked by their fellow pupils.


I'm not sure this tactic or punishment actually worked as I suspect the children made to wear the cap did not care, were made class heroes, but even more likely they probably had some actual real learning difficulty which the Victorian teachers had no way of understanding or were trained to deal with.


Saturday 14 July 2018

Academics Hat


The Mortaboard, Square Cap, Corner Cap, Oxford Cap


The Mortarboard cap named after bricklayers tool for holding mortar or perhaps it was the other way round not sure.


This style of cap dates back at least as far 16th Century where it was used in the uniform of those attending universities in Europe, forms of this hat go back even further were its seen in Italian paintings of 15th Century. 

In the past, this form of hats was the default hat for the teaching profession and mandatory uniform at Oxford University. Now the mortarboard is seen across the worlds colleges and university, mostly in graduation ceremonies, were once the ceremony is over its thrown into the air.




Monday 9 July 2018

A Hat for Scholar

This is sort of brimless cloth hat is a bit odd, it could have been worn in any period from the 13th to 19th century, although I've grouped it in the so-called renaissance, 16th C period


The hat is made like a muffin cap with an abundance of material fixed to a smaller headband, this one is made so the headband becomes hidden when worn.



The fabric green in colour is slightly eccentric style make this something that could be worn by a medieval scholar or a poet


Found for £2 in the bargain bin at a lrp fair


Saturday 30 June 2018

Ushanka

Ushanka comes from a Russian word meaning ears.

This fur-lined cap comes with fold-down ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or fastened under the chin to protect the ears lower face from the cold. 


The Ushanka cap or hat is winter wear worn any from the USA to Russia but is very popular with Soviet naval officers

Traditionally made from rabbit or sheepskin and used in all sorts of extreme cold climates





This could also be called a trapper hat, but a trapper hat is not necessarily fur lined or designed for extreme cold.


This hat is a tourist variety with cheap soviet style badge and artificial fur but is still a practical hat that not just novelty wear.