Recognize this hat? It dates back to circa 1857 and was made by hatters Dunlap & Co. The patriotic paint job is thought to have been added in the 1930s. (Perhaps for an Uncle Sam costume?)
Grateful Dead’s first album, 1967.
But it was Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead that made this chapeau famous. The story goes that he donned the hat one day for some photos taken at the old Spreckles Mansion. Those photos ended up on the band’s first album cover and after that the hat, for some unremembered reason, became known as The Captain Trips Hat.
Later, Garcia gave it to some friends who owned a boutique on Haight Street. In 2014 it was put up for auction with Christie’s.
What I like about The Captain Trips is the playful patriotism. Creative, fun, and anything but square.
Check back tomorrow for the next pic from The Summer of Love Experience.
OverDressed for Life 
Leave a Reply