In 1980, two American men wandered into milliner Herbert Johnson's shop at London's 13 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair. They introduced themselves as Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg revealed that he was about to embark on making an adventure film, with Harrison Ford playing the lead role. The film, titled Raiders of the Lost Ark, would feature the protagonist Indiana Jones wearing a hat that would be pivotal to the character and the plot. The hat makers jumped at the chance to be part of something which he thought might one day become cinematic prop history.
Herbert Johnson's classic and oldest hat shape, a wide brim fur felt hat called 'The Poet' was chosen for the film. The Poet had been made by the company since the 1890s, and had always been deemed ageless.
In addition to the original hat for Harrison Ford,45 'Indy' hats of assorted sizes were made, some for Ford and the remainder for the film stunt actors on the set of Raiders of The Lost Ark.
Since the huge success of the Indiana Jones franchise, British luggage- and umbrella-maker Swaine Adeney Brigg, which merged with Herbert Johnson, has continued to make exactly the same hat, still calling it 'The Poet' for fans of both the Indiana Jones films and the starring actor. It now has its place cemented in Hollywood's history as a masterpiece of film props.
Costumes and props from the Indiana Jones film series have been known to sell well at auction – in excess of $60,000. The hand-made kangaroo hide bull-whip Ford used in the Indiana Jones films sold for $180,000 in 2014 at Profiles in History.
