Korn Hat Creaser (aka “Crease Retaining Device”)
Artifact of the Month Blog - October
1978.40.74 - Gift of Dr. Lyndon and Mrs. Ruth Fitch
Amanda Kramp, Associate Curator of Collections and Exhibit
This Artifact of the Month was presented as a “Mystery Object”. While we could easily look in our database to identify it, we wanted to see if enough guests were curious enough to reveal the true nature of this artifact – a device that is scarcely used today.
A true product of its time, may we introduce Korn’s “Crease Retaining Device for Hats”!
Journey into the Museum and you’ll find our Artifact of the Month exhibit, where we highlight an object from our Collection, and explore its history, function, or perhaps just something unique and interesting about it.
The exhibit also includes an interactive poll where guests can vote for an artifact they find interesting enough to be featured as a future Artifact of the Month. Once an item earns enough votes, we dig into its history, researching everything we can to uncover the most interesting facts and information to share with our guests.
In 1917, Joseph Korn of Newark, New Jersey, sought to solve a problem created by the new trend toward flexibles hats. Homburgs, fedoras and other soft hats could lose their shape with wear and exposure to moisture from sweat or rain. Korn’s solution was the “Crease Retaining Device”, a simple U-shaped clamp with spikes to hold the crease from the inside of the hat. He continued to develop and patent his invention in 1920 and again in 1923.
Back then, looking sharp was important. Hats were an essential part of men’s fashion, and in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, it could be improper to appear in public without one! Keeping your hat in good shape was more than a matter of style – it was good manners!
Visit the museum throughout the month of October to explore more about this unique invention and the history of men’s headwear. And the next time you see a carefully shaped hat, remember: there is a lot of ingenuity and skill behind that handsome headwear!