A Lost Art: Men Tipping Their Hat
This morning, while looking through a shoebox of old snapshots, I found a picture of my two younger brothers and me standing in front of a donkey colt. We were eleven years old, nine years old, and six years old. Our father had taken us to town early that Friday morning in 1944 to buy new hats for the three of us. When we arrived home, Mom, with her ever-ready Brownie Box Camera, was waiting for us to pile out of the car so she could take a picture of her three young sons sporting their new hats.
Looking at the picture, I’m reminded of a time, the 1940′s and the mid-1950′s, when men and boys wore hats, particularly outdoors. It was a time of self-respect and good manners. Tipping or removing one’s hat was an essential part of every-day life. It seems old-fashioned manners are something we have lost (while our culture is eroding and common courtesy has become too inconvenient for every-day living).
Two rules of politeness still in effect today (I checked two sources of etiquette) for a man wearing a hat are: (1) Lifting or tipping the hat, which was generally done for ladies and strangers; (2) Taking off the hat, which was generally done for friends, or as a sign of respect toward others and dignity towards oneself.
Indoors, a man always removed his hat, particularly in a home, a church or restaurant. It was a sign of disrespect and or contempt to leave your had on when proper to remove it.
4 Responses to “A Lost Art: Men Tipping Their Hat”
August 19th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Mr. George,
I’m afraid I’m old enough to recall of what you speak above. Yes, it was manners and a touch of Chivalry, me thinks, for a man to tip his hat; reminds me of a lady doing a ‘curtsy’.
I read your e-book, A Man at the Side of the Road’. ‘Hats off’ to your touching story; worth every penny I paid!
Mrs. Barn Builder
August 21st, 2009 at 12:06 am
“Common” courtesy?? PLEASE. There is no common in common courtesy. There is no common in common sense, either. It is pretty sad that when you hold a door for someone in a public place, people looked shocked, or worse, wary.
tanya
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:36 am
I have had a few hats tipped And always thought it was great but most boys and men dont do that any more let alone hold a door open or even walk to the door to get their date.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Lost Art is the way the “cowboy” rests his hat: On the back of the chair, resting on the coffee table, UPSIDE DOWN to most common minds, or dangling from one knee cap. Always loved looking out the window, watching when door bell rung, hat in hand, one toe of boot was lifted and “shined” against the back of pant leg then opposite toe boot lifted and rubbed to a glean on the opposite back pants leg. Golly miss those days. Could always tell the seasons with straw hat versus light grey flannel for fall/winter or church goin. Miss it…
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