How the Stetson Got Its Start in American Movies—and Why It Endured

In 1865, the explorer, hatmaker, and entrepreneur John Stetson founded his eponymous company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Before establishing his business, Stetson had spent time out West mingling with cowboys and settlers; he sought to mass-produce the style of hat he’d made for himself during that period. Thus the Stetson was born, a hat that over the following century became a symbol of rugged Americanism. Rizzoli’s recently published book Stetson: American Icon traces this trajectory through various mediums, including film, as outlined by critic and journalist Glenn Kenny in this excerpt.The action movie director John Sturges had only just recently worked with Steve McQueen on the World War II picture Never So Few when he approached the actor on the set of his western TV series Wanted:…

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