John Bull Hat

From the Wild Wild West

I’m reading a gripping story of a pioneer family in the 1800s settled into the loneliness and harsh land of Montana. It’s called One for the Blackbird — One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker. It’s a novel, and it is breathtaking. Other than an altogether splendid story, somebody in it was wearing a John Bull hat. I’d never heard of such a thing.

I just realized what I like about this story. Stephen King does this with his characters. They are good and bad all at the same time. Just like we are.

So, here’s what a John Bull topper is. It’s a short top hat. Do you remember Jim West in Wild Wild West? The character was played by Robert Conrad in the television show and later by Will Smith in the movie. Both of them, wearing a John Bull hat, made my toes wiggle.

I started writing a couple of years ago when one of the voices in my head took form and introduced himself as Daniel. I wanted to write about him, and in November 2021, during the NaNoWriMo.org writing challenge, I set to work. Except I discovered quickly that I didn’t know what I was talking about, and the story became sort of humdrum, much like our lives are like anyway, even on a good day. But, since then, much of my reading has centered on American Western stories, especially with the pioneers in the 1880s. One for the Blackbird qualifies as a terrific work. I can’t get over how I admire Olivia Hawker’s writing. So, I became a follower and will read whatever she comes out with, which is already a considerable collection of novels.

Additionally, as I did some research on just what a John Bull hat is, I came upon (the magic of the internet) a website by Geri Walton with an article where she delves into the history of the John Bull hat. I wondered whether the top hat grew from the shorter version of the John Bull hat or if the John Bull hat had shrunk from the top hat. It turns out it started small and grew in stature.

My husband has a top hat. He wears it during historical reenactments, with one on YouTube where he plays Horace Carpentier, the first mayor of Oakland, California. The hat he wears is taller than a John Bull hat, but men in hats, ah, just give my heart a quick flutter. He’s also got an Indiana Jones hat I insisted he purchase when we took a trip to Yosemite once.

If you are interested in purchasing a membership at Medium.com please use my affiliate link. Membership is $5 a month or $50 a year when you pay for the year all at once. If you use my link, I’ll get a small stipend every month.

Thanks for reading.