Original British-Made WWII Style Ethiopian General’s Dress Visor Cap by Herbert Johnson of London – c.1953-74 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent condition Ethiopian General’s Visor cap, from the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie, who ruled from 1930 to 1974. The markings inside the cap indicate it was made during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign began in 1953, so that places this cap probably in the late 50 or early 60s, as it has a celluloid liner. Emperor Selassie and his senior military staff had all of their uniforms tailored in London by the finest makers, and this particular cap is identical to a British General’s cap, with the exception of the Ethiopian General’s Badge.

The exterior is fabricated from a greenish-khaki wool and designed with a traditional high peak. There is a band of red wool around the circumference, two brown leather straps with smooth finished uppers and fixed loops creating the chin strap, slotted at the ends, secured on both sides by non-magnetic silvered metal buttons bearing the General’s crossed baton and sword within an open-ended wreath of laurel leaves.

The flat visor incorporates a thick stiffener, the upper on the visor covered with the same color wool as that used on the exterior of the cap. The rear skirt of the cap comes with four brownish-green ventilation eyelets. The front is adorned with a General’s cap badge insignia, with the Ethiopian crown, above a crossed baton and sword, framed by an open-ended wreath of laurel leaves, in gold-colored and silvered bullion wire, in various textures, black felt behind the crossed baton and sword, maroon felt in the voided area of the crown.

Inside, the cap has a brown leather sweatband, the two ends of the sweatband tied together at the rear via a white ribbon in a traditional bow-tie. The sides are lined in a brownish-gray nylon, the dome covered in a celluloid moisture-resistant shield, which has faded to brown (typical of WWII and post war issue), the underside stamped in black ink with the Royal coat-of-arms and the Royal appointment:

BY APPOINTMENT
TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
HATTERS

above the maker’s insignia and inscribed on the insignia’s shield:

HERBERT JOHNSON
38 NEW BOND St.
LONDON,
W.

The cap is free of mothing, exhibiting flawless, quality workmanship, maintaining its original period look. Very fine. Approximate size is 7.25 (58cm). Herbert Johnson is a very famous Hatter in London, and was where Harrison Ford went to get fitted for the famous rabbit felt hat he wore in the Indiana Jones series of movies.