Miscellaneous, Hat, Vintage, Wool Felt, Leather Hatband With Gems, Attributed to Bill Pickett, Antique, 765

HATS OFF TO THIS AMAZING ANTIQUE TOPPER!

This fabulous felt hat isn’t just your average vintage cowboy hat, this one is attributed to the legendary ‘Bulldogger’ Bill Pickett, one of the most revered Black cowboys in history. Born and bred in central Texas, Pickett garnered fame for his steer-wrestling skills and stunts, and began appearing in county fairs and rodeos, traveling with his act throughout Texas, Arizona, Wyoming, and Oklahoma. Pickett was a member of the 101 Ranch Wild West Show that featured the likes of Buffalo Bill, Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Bee Ho Gray, and Zach and Lucille Mulhall. He eventually became so popular he traveled all over the world and even appeared in motion pictures likeThe Bull-dogger andThe Crimson Skull. Pickett died in 1932 as the result of a head injury incurred from a bronco kick, and has been posthumously inducted into several Halls of Fame, had the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo created in his honor to celebrate Black cowboys, and now has a statue of himself performing a bull-dogging maneuver proudly installed in the Fort Worth Stockyards. 

This hat features a tan wool felt construction with leather hatband adorned with glass gems. No liner or sweatband. Provenance Ellsworth Collings (101 Ranch) Bill Geis (Bar-C Ranch)

• materials: wool felt, leather band, commercial metal findings
• measurements: 15" L x 3 1/2" H x 14 3/4 brim span
• weight: 132 grams
• vintage condition
• dust accretion
• moth grazing overall
• scratches to gems on hatband
• no lining
• discoloration and staining from wear
• misshaping
• surface wear commensurate with age
• wear from use
• style: Misc 765