This is a poster designed for the German market promoting the famous felt hats of the Italian firm Borsalino, founded in 1857 in Alessandria in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. The company quickly established a reputation for quality and by the end of the 19th century, more than 60 percent of its hats were being exported. During the 20th century, the firm hired major artists like Marcello Dudovich and Max Huber to design its posters and by the 1930s, Borsalino hats were worn by movie actors and other celebrities; Humphrey Bogart even wore one of its fedoras, much like the one shown here, in Casablanca (1942). The poster shows the company’s calligraphic logo, registered in 1907 and still in use today, within a design showing the gloved hand of a well-dressed man emerging from the lower margin of the image as he doffs a Borsalino hat. The spare black-and-white composition effectively communicates the simple elegance and luxury associated with the company’s products.