ANTIQUE PRIMITIVE MEN'S HAT STRETCHER SIGNED ESTATE OLD

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ANTIQUE PRIMITIVE MEN'S HAT STRETCHER SIGNED ESTATE OLD LATE 1800'S C. AIKMAN & CO. NEW YORK HAT RUSESE DISPLAY UP FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IS A SUPER PRIMITIVE HAT STRETCHER. WOODEN HAT STRTETCH IS INCISED ON TOP 6 ~ 7 ~ 8. I'M HAVING A HARD TIME MAKING OUT THE BOTTOM MARKINGS BECAUSE THEY ARE WORN FROM AGING. I BELIEVE IT READS C. AIKMAN & CO. ~ RUSESE ~ NEW YORK. IF ANYONE CAN DATE THIS HAT STRETCHER OR IS FAMILIAR WITH THE COMPANY, I'LL BE HAPPY TO POST.HAT STRETCHER IS APPROXIMATELY 7.25" TALL, 6.25" ACROSS CENTER, AND IS APPROXIMATELY 2.50" DEEP. STRETCHER WORKS GREAT. SIMPLY A FABULOUS ANTIQUE PRIMITIVE WITH GREAT AGED PATINA TO IT! WHILE RESEARCHING THIS VERY OLD ANTIQUE. DISPLAY IS FOR PICTURE TAKING PURPOSE ONLY AND NOT INCLUDED IN THIS AUCTION.I CAME ACROSS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY OF C. AIKMAN. The business that was to become Collins & Aikman was founded in 1843, on the Lower East Side of New York. Sensing that the rapid growth of the increasingly crowded city would spur the market for privacy products, 21-year-old Gibbons L. Kelty opened a window shade shop on Catherine Street. Kelty's business prospered, and he gradually added various home furnishings lines and began to import upholstery fabrics. Kelty also opened a textile factory across the East River in Astoria. By 1870, G.L. Kelty & Co. was operating several downtown stores, selling furniture, curtains, and upholstery. That year, Gibbons Kelty admitted his nephew, Charles M. Aikman, into partnership, and in 1871, they were joined by Gibbons's son, William Kelty. A year later Kelty became the first U.S. weaver of satin damask, and it won a gold medal for these fabrics at an American Centennial exhibition a few years later. After Gibbons Kelty died in 1889, Charles Aikman formed C.M. Aikman & Co. and bought out the principal Kelty interests. The Kelty holdings included a half interest in a weave plant in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia. The other half was owned by William G. Collins. In 1891, they incorporated Collins & Aikman (C & A), with Aikman as president and Collins as secretary and treasurer. C & A continued its expansion as a specialist in heavy, upholstery-type fabrics. In 1898, it became the first American producer of jacquard velvet. About the same time the company got out of its original window shade business. Charles Aikman retired in 1909, and sold his C.M. Aikman & Co. (which he may have used primarily as a holding company for his C & A and other interests) to C & A. A few years later, William Collins also retired, turning the presidency over to his son Kenneth. Tragically, Kenneth Collins was killed in early 1916 in a fire, after he had rescued two women who were trapped. His cousin, Dr. William M. Collins, who had held the title of treasurer in the company, took over as interim president, but by July 1916, the Collins family sold its holdings to Thomas Doody and Melville Curtis, who had first bought a stake in the firm in 1911, and had been directors and assistant treasurers. A BEAUTIFUL ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTION OR HOME DECOR! JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING SEASON!I RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A BUYING TRIP. EMERALD COAST ANTIQUES WILL BE SELLING MANY WONDERFUL VINTAGE AND ANTIQUE ITEMS THROUGH THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON. PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR OTHER AUCTIONS AND CHECK BACK OFTEN! PLEASE VIEW PICTURES CAREFULLY, AND LET US KNOW IF WE CAN PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. AS ALWAYS, LOW STARTING BID AND NO RESERVE. GOOD LUCK! Please read before bidding on our auction! Please do not bid if you have any doubts about the integrity of the item you are bidding on or you feel our description does not adequately describe the item . Questions are always welcome. We try very hard to be fair and informative with each auction. Please check out our eBay feedback and bid with confidence! All auction items are sold as is . The majority of our listings are acquired from estate sales, auctions or through client consignments. Auction... read more

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