This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt features a young girl looking at a hat. Well, take a gander at THESE hats:
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| My grandmother Lucille Rucker Davis is the first on the left, middle row. |
In 1955, Fess Parker was the star of Disney’s “Davy Crockett” television program. The show became so popular that Disney made a movie from the first 3 episodes. Parker recorded the theme song, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett," and it became so popular that everyone knew the words. Crockett in his coonskin cap became one of the most popular western heroes in the country, and his popularity spawned a hat-fad among boys. The much coveted coonskin cap was usually a faux-fur lined skull cap with raccoon tail.
My grandmother was working for Colonial Store in Portsmouth, Virginia, during the big Davy Crockett craze. I don’t recall the year of this photo, but it had to be mid- to late fifties – early sixties at the latest. Colonial Store was running some sort of promotion. The employees wore the coonskin caps for I-don’t-know-how-long, and they either gave away Davy Crockett dishes with purchase or maybe the dishes were simply available for purchase in the store during the promotion. I don’t know for sure.
The Davy Crockett plate was made in 1955 during the heyday of the “Davy Crockett” show.
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| Image from Google Images |
I do remember having the dishes although I don’t know what became of them – probably donated to Goodwill or sold at a yard sale when their coolness factor had sufficiently worn off. Who knew the coolness factor could be reborn?
Nico photo, it has a real 50s-vibe. Your grandmother doesn't look to happy wearing the coonskin cap...
ReplyDeleteMy 5 and 9 year old children have a 'coon skin cap that they take turns with. A style that never goes out of fashion (with 5 and 9 year olds anyway!).
ReplyDeleteI remember my great aunt in America sending one of those caps to my brother!
ReplyDelete"Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier.." my sister and I didn't have the hats but i think we had underware with a little Davy Crockett scene on it.
ReplyDeleteNow I cn't get that tune out of my head. Davy Crockett was a hit in the UK too.
ReplyDeleteI think the men are lovin' those hats, they're all smiling! LOL
ReplyDeleteThat is the ultimate hat photo. And yessiree, I still know the words and the tune to that song.
ReplyDeleteI never had one of those hats, but one of my sisters did.
ReplyDeleteYes, the song is going through my head right now ... the hat must have been one of the all time great fads for kids.
ReplyDeleteDavy Is Still The King of The Wild Frontier !!!!
ReplyDeleteI think it's funny that the store would get its employees together and take their photos. Was it a promotional photo to encourage people to buy the hats? What fun!
ReplyDeleteOh I so wanted one of those hats. You've now got the song running through my head. One of those songs where you can't stop in the middle, you just have to keep singing it through to the end. Fun photo!
ReplyDeleteOh I so remember singing the words to that song, indeed I suspect I can still remember most of them. And I do recall that I had a Davy Crocket hat, even here in West Yorkshire, many many miles from the wild frontier. Great picture and great memories.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that I ever had the hat, but there were plenty of lads who did. Great picture, but what pity you no longer have the plate.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes I remember boys wearing those coonskin caps and I also remember watching Fess Parker as Davy Crockett - now that was a man!
ReplyDeleteI wondered if anyone would show a Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone coonskin and you did! Hurrah! I could sing a duet with Alan to that song, I still remember it, now it will be my tune of the week!
ReplyDeleteI remember well that TV series, as it played here in Quebec as "Daniel Boon". Why the change of name, I have no idea... Still, I watched it avidly! But I never wore such a hat, being against hunting per se. But we saw many guys around here wearing those big coon hats, real ones...
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
Ticklebear, "Davy Crockett" and "Daniel Boone" were 2 different shows, but Fess Parker starred in both and wore the coonskin hat in both.
ReplyDeleteWell, color me dumbfounded!!!
ReplyDelete:D~
Did I miss anything then?...
;)~
But what was the big idea then, to feature the same actor, in a similar setting, in two different series??
:/~
HUGZ
I don't pretend to understand why Hollywood does anything, but my best GUESS is "Davy Crockett" was a kids' show, so they (whoever "they" were) created "Daniel Boone" to appeal to grown-ups.
DeleteI'll take your word for it. But I did watch this when I was a kid. You're telling me now I was NOT the target audience? Too late!!
ReplyDelete:D~
HUGZ
I'm sure you were an advanced child! What I meant to say was "Daniel Boone" was a good ol' western that appealed to adults AS WELL AS kids, and didn't carry the stigma of having once been a show for kids.
DeleteOh what fun! I loved the show and can recall my brother acting out many scenes from Davy Crockett. Thanks for sharing the fabulous photo and for the memories!
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