The Hat Stays!

Back when I first started bookmobiling 7 years ago, our community relations department had some nice hats made up with the Library System of Lancaster County logo emblazoned on the front. "The Hat" quickly became established as a crucial element in this bookmobiler's uniform. Besides the jaunty curved bill and the stylish green color, The Hat served some useful purposes. 1) It keeps the sun out of my eyes. 2)It's just like a name tag. When I wear The Hat, people know I'm in charge. 3) A necktie decidedly does not go with The Hat.



Just recently, some of my image conscious co-workers have been giving me a hard time about The Hat. It's ugly. It's unprofessional. It doesn't project the image we want to project. It's low-brow. I beg to differ. In fact, The Hat has made some remarkable appearances in art throughout history, and likewise is making in-roads into popular culture. Take a look at Modigliani's rendition of The Hat.




Not convinced? El Greco also slipped The Hat into more than one of his iconic paintings.



Botticelli's fondness for The Hat is well documented.



My sources in Japan tell me that a new Manga series featuring "The Hat" is now in development. Here is an early concept drawing that was leaked exclusively to me.



So, my friends. The Hat Stays!