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Clothing Accessories
Clothing and Accessories
Men's Clothing
Headwear ➔ Hat
Identifier:
117720Description:
This top hat, often called a Gibus or opera hat, is made of black silk grosgrain and has a black grosgrain ribbon around the base of the crown. It is roughly 15 centimeters tall and was made by Finesse Solioite Elegance of Paris, France. It was sold by A. May & Son of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It has a spring-loaded collapsible frame that allowed the hat to flatten. This was designed for men to conveniently carry them tucked under their arm and also to store them under their seat at the opera house. This style of hat is named after Antoine Gibus who designed the collapsible frame around 1840.Date:
circa 1865 – 1890Materials:
Silk GrosgrainDimensions:
6"" h 10"" w 12.5"" dCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of Arthur H. VandenbergRelated Entities:
Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg (donor)Born in Grand Rapids in 1884, Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg represented the state of Michigan as a United States Senator from 1928-1951. Vandenberg became interested in politics after receiving his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1901 and serving as editor-in-chief of the Grand Rapids Herald from 1906-1928. After the death of US Senator Woodbridge Nathan Harris in 1928, Michigan governor Fred Green appointed Vandenberg to the vacant position. Vandenberg was then successfully elected for four consecutive terms in the US Senate under the Republican Party platform.
During his time representing Michigan, Vandenburg worked heavily on the Reapportionment Act of 1929, which requires redistricting of the US House of Representatives using information from the national census. He acted as a strong opponent to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal measures in the 1930s, pursuing a policy of “fiscal responsibility, a balanced budget, states’ rights, and reduced taxation.” Since 1929, he served on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is known for his “speech heard round the world” where he announced his decision to follow a policy of internationalism during World War II. Vandenberg is likely best known for the Vandenberg resolution, a 1948 agreement key to signing the North Atlantic Treaty, which established NATO. During and after World War II, Vandenberg was a champion of the Republican Party and gained much support for a presidential nomination, yet declined to run.
In 1950, Arthur Vandenberg developed cancer but maintained his service in the Senate until his death in April 1951. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Grand Rapids. A. May and Sons (sold by)
Alternate names: May's, Mays Of Michigan, The Giant
A. May & Son’s, also known as May’s of Michigan, was a men’s wear store based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The store was founded as the Giant Clothing Store by German merchant Abraham May in 1883 at Monroe and Lyon Streets, Grand Rapids and was nicknamed “the Giant”. After two years at the University of Michigan, Abraham's son Meyer May and other children in the family joined their father's business and the name of the store was changed to A. May & Son’s. It was the first store in the nation to display clothing on Batts hangers, an important first in the merchandizing of clothing. Meyer May became president of the company after his father's death in 1906. Meyer May and his wife Sophie Amberg were also known for their private residence designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Today the house is operating as a museum by Steelcase Inc. A. May & Son’s remained in the family until 1967, when it was purchased by Botany Industries. Norman Talmo, a former Botany executive purchased the store in 1972. The downtown store closed in 1986 and the building was demolished for parking in 1988.
Source: Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon. Images of America, 20th Century Retailing in Downtown Grand Rapids. Arcadia Publishing: Charleston, 2014. Finesse Solioite Elegance (creator)
Finesse Solioite Elegance was located in Paris, France.
