Getting to Know the Cincinnati Hat Man

When the Cincinnati Hat Man has something to say he writes it on poster board and clips it to his hat. Whether it's a gathering on Fountain Square, Findlay Market or any other Cincinnati meeting place, you'll likely find the Hat Man in the middle of the crowd.

The Cincinnati Hat Man and Me

I first encountered the Hat Man a few years ago when he walked through the Downtown Library. He was moving slowly enough to draw my attention, but too quickly for me to read his sign. He seemed unapproachable, which triggered my curiosity to know more.

It took several additional Hat Man sightings before I asked him if I could take his picture. I used a Bean back then, an oval shaped, digital camera that was lime green and gray and very un-camera like. "That's a camera?" he asked. His curiosity became the ice breaker that led to my first Hat Man photo. He didn't remember me the next time I saw him; but he recognized my little green camera. I learned to pull it from my purse when I saw him coming and each time I did, he'd slip into a Hat Man pose.

Rejoice! The Cincinnati Hat Man's Message

The Hat Man uses his mastery of the creative handmade sign to share positive news. He carefully letters each message with colorful markers. He sometimes draws hearts and logos and adds "Rejoice!" to a particularly special message.

When he receives notice of an event that's about to begin, the Hat Man creates a no frills sign and rushes to make an appearance. That's what happened when Ohio State Senator Kearney camped out at the Board of Elections the night before Ohio Early Voting began. The event inspired the Hat Man sign "Mission: Operation Clash The Polls."

The Cincinnati Hat Man Gets Political

The Burger King crown base of the Hat Man's sign sometimes bears Obama, Library and Issue 7 stickers from previous elections. He wears an Obama family button as well as an assortment of 2010 candidate stickers.

At Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2010 he pulled off his "I Love the Bier Band" sign to show me several signs layered atop one another. The next sign in the stack read: "Steve L Frank for Covington Commissioner." "They asked me to make a sign and walk around," he said. He'd spent the day hanging out at a Covington, Kentucky event. "If he wins," The Hat Man said, "I will make history. It will be the first time a hat was used to influence an election."

When Congress passed the health care bill, the Hat Man's message said "Health Care at Last: Rejoice!" He couldn't get access to Sarah Palin, but he found a look alike to pose with him at the Cincinnati stop of the "Going Rogue" book tour. Wearing his "Governor Strickland Comes to Town" sign got the Hat Man a photo op with the governor himself during the Fight for Ohio Bus Tour.

So Who is The Cincinnti Hat Man?

I talked to the Hat Man recently and learned the following:

-His name is Avtar Gill.

-He prefers Hat Man to Hat Guy.

-He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio but is a native of India.

-He wears signs on his head because it's just what he does.

Source:
Avtar Gill, the Hat Man