1940’s Vintage Black Bes Ben Hat / Plastic Head Wear with Veil Post WWII
This extraordinary hat, created by the famous Mad-Hatter Chicago milliner, Benjamin Green-Field aka Bes Ben, was quite the show stopper in its day. This fashionable work of art is made of black tubing that features a crisscross open weave veil and saucer like button accents. Rather than using beads, he. Of the black tubing. Diagonally and then attached to the veil. Adding even more style and flare to this piece. The original two combs are still intact and affixed to the inner lining along with the Bes Ben label. This hat has traveled through time very well and is quite the collector piece. History of Bes Ben. Green-Field, who found and endowed the Benjamin B. Green-Field Foundation, was a Chicago born-and-raised businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and. Heralded as “Chicago’s Mad Hatter” by famously crafting whimsical and elegant hats for women and celebrities, such as Lucille Ball, Marlene Dietrich and Elizabeth Taylor; however, Mr. Green-Field’s history with head wear began mostly through necessity. In 1919, he and his sister, Bessie, opened a store on State Street, combining their first names to create the famous Bes-Ben logo. Within eight years the duo had expanded their business to include five shops. Their hats had become a necessary adornment for Chicago’s society ladies and beyond. Bes-Ben’s hats were comparatively tame until 1941. Around this time, Mr. Green-Field’s creativity and sense of humor really began to surface in his designs. He began to incorporate unusual items into his hats: firecrackers, skyscrapers, animals, bugs, fruit, doll furniture, palm trees, cigarette packages and even Folies. The prices for Mr. He would then begin to toss the rest out the front door to waiting bargain-hunters. While the demand for hats in general dropped dramatically in the 1960s, Bes-Ben hats have remained hugely popular and collectible. Thats what Bes-Ben hats are renowned for achieving. This festive hat was adorned with an unfurled American flag, red, white and blue firecrackers and stars. We appreciate your business! Items may be picked up in person at our Chicago, IL Studio. Items not retrieved by buyers after 28 days will be re-listed for sale. Please note that the vast majority of our select inventory of vintage items and antiques is previously used, and some have had decades of use; others are over 100 years old, and others still may have been neglected and/or improperly stored or poorly maintained for a long time. We try our best to photograph every item from multiple angles and describe them to the best of our abilities, accurately, including damage and condition issues; however, we do not document every minute sign of use. Buyers should assume that these are present unless we specify otherwise, or purport that an item is brand new and in pristine, unused condition. If you have specific questions about any item or would like additional photos, please ask. We are happy to oblige! Your Accepted Offer is a Binding Contract, and you agree to all of our above Terms and Conditions. Please read our descriptions carefully, examine all photos and ask any questions before you make your offer. The item “1940’s Vintage Black Bes Ben Hat / Plastic Head Wear with Veil Post WWII” is in sale since Tuesday, June 23, 2015. This item is in the category “Clothing, Shoes & Accessories\Vintage\Vintage Accessories\Women’s Hats”. The seller is “jalanchicago” and is located in Chicago, Illinois. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Era: 1947-1964 (Post WWII-Early 60s)
- Vintage Type: True Vintage
- Color: Black
- Material: Plastic
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Tags: 1940s, black, head, plastic, post, veil, vintage, wear, wwii