Stonemason's Paper Hats

I had long assumed that workman’s paper hats were a thing of the past … but it seems that in this, as in so much else (check with my wife for details), I was wrong. Stephen L’Normand, Master of the Stonemason’s Guild here in the UK, tells me that members of the guild still wear paper hats at work, and offers this picture as evidence.

Stephen says, ‘When offered an apprenticeship in our Guild, the young craftsperson is taught to make a paper hat and given their own distinctive mark, which we in The Guild always write on the front of our hats. When the hat becomes tatty at the end of a working week, it is typically unfolded and the scrap paper used to scribble plans or measurements on for a stone piece before re-recycling.’ He adds, ‘The pattern we use is the London pattern.’

The more astute and experienced paperfolders among you will have recognised this ‘London’ pattern already, but if not here is a video explaining how it is folded.

As you will see it is not the traditional Workman’s Hat (which has a turned up brim) but another familiar paperfold, usually known as the Blintz Box or Masu. I have not come across this box used as a hat before (though, of course, all workmen’s hats are essentially square boxes turned upside down).

The other unusual thing about these hats is the way they are worn. Workmen’s hats are usually pictured (see below) with one side of the hat facing forward, but if you look at the picture at the top again you will see that stonemason’s are nowadays taught to wear theirs point forward instead.

Detail from an oil painting by John Hill, dated around 1800, titled ‘Interior of the Carpenter's Shop at Forty Hill Enfield'.

My thanks to Stephen L’Normand for letting me use his photo and video here.