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| Hat Man Sign, Broad Street, Charleston, SC Doug Hickok Most readers are familiar with the frenzied Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll's fantasy Alice in Wonderland. If you haven't read the book then you may be familiar with Johnny Depp's eccentric interpretation of the character in the movie version. There is actually truth to the phrase "mad as a hatter". In the 19th century, mercury nitrate was used in making felt hats. Hat makers exposed to this chemical could eventually contract St. Vitus' Dance, (Sydenham's chorea) a nervous disorder which causes frenetic jerking behavior. This image shows Charleston's Hat Man, a painted sign discovered on the side of a building on Broad Street during renovation. It marks the place which used to be a haberdashery. It is a curiosity, a downtown landmark most people walk past without noticing. Mad as it may seem, the figure is made almost entirely of hats, hats of all sorts. |
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Mad as a Hatter
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A cool story ...
ReplyDeleteVery interesting... A few hours back I also read an article about Mad as a Hatter in a blog entry... there must be something triggering this theme these days?
ReplyDeleteIndeed, all parts of the face are hats: ears, nose, eyes....etc... That's cool!
I will think of the phrase "Mad as a Hatter" differently from now on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info about the saying... love the shot!
ReplyDeleteFunny portrait
ReplyDeleteLuton, a town not too far from here, was the centre of the hat-making trade in Britain. The local soccer team are still known as "The Hatters" by their fans. Are they mad? You bet!
ReplyDeleteVery nice, I like the colours.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
This is a very clever image. I see the various hats!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Doug.
ah! i didn't know what is behind the "mad hatter" until i read your entry so thanks for sharing! :D love the pictures. and creative use of the leaf shadow to add impact to the image :D
ReplyDeleteFuny sign! The gray in the mixture of white&yellow looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis is such fun!! Can't help but make me smile...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find! Great historical reference too--not too many people outside of medicine and toxicology know about the origins of "mad as a hatter."
ReplyDeletenice bit of info there.. it fits this image nicely.. nice work.. :)
ReplyDelete