Children ’s author and illustrator Theodor Geisel has educated generation of children with silly level and a notional style with words . Before the later popularity of his derisory rhymes , Dr. Seuss penned a prose work calledThe 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins , featuring the eponymous Bartholomew and his enviable collection of headwear — a collection base on Dr. Seuss ’s own zoo of howling hats . In pureness of the 75thanniversary of the book ’s publication , Geisel ’s widow has opened her late husband ’s hat assembling to the public in a traveling exhibit called “ Hats Off to Dr. Seuss ! ”
Geisel ’s lid collection remained something of an open secret : Though his preference for silly hats was well noted by his friends and family , the ecumenical public remained unaware that the generator maintained a fully stocked chapeau cupboard in his San Diego mansion house . In a 1937 paper interview , his sis Marnie outed the inner joke , informing the reporter , “ Ted has another rum hobby — that of collecting lid of every description . Why , he must have several hundred , and he is using them as the fundament of his next record . I have seen him put on an impromptu show for guest , using the hats as costumes . He has kept a whole political party in stitches just by making up a play with kitchen knives and spoon for the actor . "
With Dr. Seuss , it seems thateverydinner party was a hat political party . No matter how elegant the occasion , he would take a firm stand that his guests don an extra impulsive accessary from his accumulation . In the ikon above , Geisel , with his wife ( now widow ) , Audrey , wears a insouciant expression that belies his snowy , fake - fur head accessory . accord to Audrey , it was a conscious host pick that work to their vantage : “ Believe me , when you get a dozen people seated at a fair formal dinner party and they ’ve all got on utterly laughable chapeaus , the evening take care of itself . ”
Which amount first , the cat or the chapeau ? No one ’s sure , but either path , Geisel powerfully place with one of his most morally ambiguous character , trace himself into the character .
With its ribbons and frills and furbelow , the stubble chapeau could be a character in a Seuss story all on its own , and is characteristic of the divers regalia of woman’s hat in which Geisel delighted .
