Radio Hats of Yore
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes:
Hey Thomas, if you haven't already covered this in the SWLing Post, this might be worth mentioning:
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/radio-hat-1931-1949-man-from-mars
TURNS OUT, LISTENING TO PODCASTS on your morning commute is nothing new. In 1931, the British cinemagazine Pathetone Weekly-which documented odd fashion trends during its run from 1930 to 1941-premiered a new invention: the Radio Hat.
In it, a man waiting for the bus decides to listen to the radio-via his straw hat, from which two large antennas poke out.
As a Pathetone Weekly title card read: "They say there's nothing new under the sun-this little French idea to while away the bus waits, must surely be!"
According to an August 1930 issue of Modern Mechanix, a Berlin engineer invented the hat, which allowed its wearer to "listen to the Sunday sermon while motoring or playing golf, get the stock market returns at the ball game, or get the benefit of the daily dozen while on the way to work by merely tuning in."
The video link in the article to a 1930's British cinemagazine Pathetone Weekly-which documented odd fashion trends during its run from 1930 to 1941-shows a fascinating demonstration of the Radio Hat, which was way ahead of its time!
Very cool! Thank you for sharing, Ed. I love how the radio hat is so conspicuous-hey, I'd wear it!