Vintage 1930s 40s Homburg Hat Dupuis Freres Fedora Sz 7 1/4

This is a beautiful quality homburg styled fedora hat in excellent condition.  The lining bears the “Dupuis Freres Imperial Nassau” mark and the sweatband is gold stamped with “Dupuis Freres”.  Dupuis Freres was a Montreal department store, important in the history of Quebec.  It was founded in 1870 and served the French Canadian population, an alternative to the English department stores in Montreal such as Eaton’s, Simpson’s and Morgan’s.  It closed its doors in 1978, a victim of changing market conditions.  The inventory ticket under the sweatband of this homburg states that it is a size 7 1/4.  The ticket also has a product number that reads 1903 37 and is printed with the Canadian logo of the United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers Union.  That particular logo was used from 1934 until 1983.  When I first saw this homburg, my impression was that it dated to the 1940s, however, the number 37 in the product code, makes me wonder if this isn’t a date code for 1937  This hat is made in a classic homburg form, so it is difficult to date with certainty.  I’m unsure of the maker, but possibly Biltmore, Buckley of Montreal or another one of the Canadian milliners in existence at the time.  The homburg measures 22 3/4” around the sweatband and 6 1/2” by 8” across the opening.  The brim measures 2 3/8” in width at the front and back and 2 1/4” at the sides.  The crown measures 5 3/8” in height.  The fur felt is pliable, so the sides can be pinched if desired, but I believe that a homburg should be worn unpinched and only with its centre crease.  It is in excellent condition - very clean, it looks to have seen very little use and was well stored over the years - there is a pinhole in the sweatband near the Dupuis Freres gold stamping, the result of a price barb. I would assume that the Imperial designation would be comparable to what Stetson produced as their Imperial model, comparable to 3X beaver felt.  This is a beautiful quality homburg hat, very collectible as it comes from Dupuis Freres, nice homburg to find in such clean condition and in a size 7 1/4!