1965 Moss Bros Covent Garden Hat Box – Colonel A. Raymond Mais Provenance

Vintage 1965 Moss Bros Covent Garden Hat Box – Colonel A. Raymond Mais Provenance

A wonderfully evocative piece of 1960s British retail history, this original Moss Bros of Covent Garden hat box is made especially interesting by its surviving delivery label, dated 1 July 1965 and addressed to “Col A Raymond Mais” at Finsbury Square, London.

Research strongly indicates that the recipient was Colonel Alan Raymond Mais, later Baron Mais of Walbrook, a distinguished Royal Engineers officer, engineer, businessman and prominent City of London figure.

The box itself is a substantial square cardboard hat or cap box measuring approximately 30cm x 30cm x 16cm, with a lift-off lid and reinforced internal construction. The front carries the period Moss Bros branding in teal and black, together with the familiar slogan “The Complete Man’s Store” and the words “Moss Bros of Covent Garden.”

Perhaps the most important surviving feature is the original Moss Bros delivery label. It is clearly dated 1/7/65 and addressed to:

COL A RAYMOND MAIS

30–40 FINSBURY SQUARE

EC1

The combination of name, military rank, date and business address provides a particularly strong provenance trail.

Alan Raymond Mais had served with the Royal Engineers during the Second World War and was associated with major wartime engineering operations, including work connected with the preparations for the Mulberry Harbours used during the Normandy landings. By the 1960s he had become a leading figure in British construction and the City of London. He was subsequently created Baron Mais of Walbrook in 1967 and later served as Lord Mayor of the City of London.

While we cannot prove what the box originally contained, its dimensions, Moss Bros’ long association with military and formal outfitting, and the rank of its recipient make it entirely plausible that it may once have housed an officer’s peaked or service cap. We have deliberately stopped short of presenting this as certainty, as the surviving label does not identify the original contents.

The box also retains an old “FRAGILE” label across the lid, adding another layer of period character. These original labels are an integral part of the history of the piece and have been left exactly as found.

This is not simply decorative vintage storage. It is a genuinely atmospheric survivor from mid-1960s London, connecting Moss Bros, British military life, post-war business and the City of London through one remarkably well-preserved piece of everyday packaging.

Measurements:

30cm x 30cm x 16cm approximately

Date:

1965 – original delivery label dated 1 July 1965

Maker / Retailer:

Moss Bros, Covent Garden, London

Material:

Heavy cardboard / fibreboard with paper covering and reinforced internal construction

Condition:

Good original vintage condition for a cardboard box now more than sixty years old.

There is expected age-related wear throughout, including surface marking, discolouration, rubbing to the edges and corners, small areas of compression and distortion, and some separation to one side seam. The original address label is creased, torn and worn at the edges, while the “FRAGILE” label is faded with age. Some construction staples are visible.

The interior remains relatively clean and intact.

We regard this wear as entirely consistent with the age and original practical use of the box, and importantly, the historic labels and markings have not been restored, replaced or removed.

Why we love it

The provenance is what elevates this one. An ordinary piece of shop packaging has survived with enough information still attached to reconnect it with its original recipient more than sixty years later. The combination of Moss Bros branding, the precise 1965 date and the Colonel Raymond Mais delivery label gives it real social-history appeal.

A fascinating piece for collectors of vintage menswear, Moss Bros memorabilia, military history, British social history, London ephemera, historic packaging or unusual decorative storage.

Please note: The attribution to Colonel Alan Raymond Mais, later Baron Mais of Walbrook, is based on our research into the surviving name, rank, address and date on the original label. The box itself does not state what item it originally contained, so any connection with a particular military cap is presented as a possibility rather than a confirmed fact.

All vintage and antique items show signs of previous life and use. We describe each piece to the best of our knowledge and ask buyers to study the photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description. Colours may vary slightly between screens.