The Hatmakers

Product Information

Dobbs Hats started in 1908 by John Cavanagh. Unable to get Crofut & Knapp products sold in towns around the country due to franchise restrictions, Cavanagh created the Dobbs brand and hired H. Dewitt Dobbs, manager of the Dunlap store, who lent his name to the new line of hats. Set in a world where there are Makers, such as the Hatmakers, who weave enchantments into the hats they produce, allowing the wearer to be more bold, daring... or even violent! Cordelia is a Hatmaker who lives with her Aunt and Uncle, and one day her father becomes lost at sea. Not only that, but France is declaring War on England, and it's up to the various families of Makers to produce peace clothes for the princess. Can Cordelia find her father and stop a looming battle with France?

Founded in the 1930s by John Cavanagh, whose Park Avenue hat shop was among the most prestigious in the United States. Now, the magic in this book is really fun. One way in which is manifesting is in how the various families Make items. For instance, the Hatmakers imbue their hats with a variety of unique and oftentimes hard to get items--such as moonbeams, storms, and feathers from rare birds--that, when worn, can give the wearer feels of peacefulness, happiness, excitement, you name it. I assume this is also how it works for the Bootmakers, Glovemakers, Cloakmakers, and so on. I loved learning about all of the different trades and their methods of Making various magical items, as well as some tidbits here and there about past events that the Makers have been a part of.Young people, aged 14-20, may be apprenticed to a Liveryman and this step is warmly welcomed. After four or seven years they have the right to seek election to the Livery. The minimum age for joining the Livery is 21. But danger is lurking around every corner, and Cordelia must convince the rival Maker families to work together for once - not only to bring her father home, but to save the very essence of magic itself . . . I would say there are jobs that you think would be great for you. There have been jobs that I thought I really wanted and that seemed almost like a mirage. They seem great, but actually the reality is it's really not great. For me, every turn in the road and every change of direction that I've had, where I've been the driving force behind that, whether it's been like a show getting canceled, like Salem got canceled. At the time, I felt really sad in a way, but then I wouldn't have been able to do Carnival Row if that had gone on. It's hard to feel like anything that felt bad at the time has not ultimately been something that's been really great. It’s so important that people actually talk about the failure as well as the success in life isn’t it… The Hatmakers is even more delightful and beautiful than its cover--and I think that it's cover is spectacular. In the 1950s Champ used celebrities in advertising, such as Guy Williams. They also sponsored fights and had radio ads with Walter Winchell.

Imaginative . . . entertaining, comical and breezy, and the settings are conjured in transporting detail' The Times The Frank Lee Hat Company, located in the hat-making center at Danbury, CT, Lee was probably the most prolific producer of hats for private labelling . . . such as the economic JC Penney‚Äôs Marathon line and Brent for Montgomery Wards; their own brand ran from mid-grade to fine quality.Cavanagh Hats was started by John Cavanagh in 1928, with an exclusive store at 247 Park Avenue in NYC. Founded in 1891 by Don Carlos and Don Jose Lagomarsino in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this South American manufacturer is still in business today. A small family run firm, founded in 1926 and originally located on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis, the company is no longer producing fine hats as of 2000. Charity : The Company has many activities, the main one being charity. The first recorded charitable bequest was that of Philip Macham who donated Sullens Farm in Essex in 1692. More recent bequests include particularly generous legacies from a number of Past Masters. The Company’s charitable giving is guided by the Trustees and by an active charity committee of Liverymen. There is a wide range of beneficiaries including Pensioner Hatters and many other good causes. Recently the Company has assisted the newly formed City Academy in Southwark, an ancient hatting centre. The Feltmakers’ Award and the Lord Mayor’s Appeal are supported each year.