German & Austrian Hutmachers

[Joshbru3]

Here are the last 4 of the 17 liner print plates....

Spectacular, Steve!! :eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[Joshbru3]

I just landed this fairly early S & J Fraenkel Velour from the 'bay. The seller advertises it at around a size 7......we'll see......

It appears to have the early logo and fairly intricate liner. I should hopefully have it this week.

 

[mayserwegener]

Josh, Thanks! Wow that is a really fantastic find! The color and felt look great. I only have one old S & J Fraenkel Wien but I have never seen an old one made for the American market. Looking forward to its arrival.

 

[Joshbru3]

Josh, Thanks! Wow that is a really fantastic find! The color and felt look great. I only have one old S & J Fraenkel Wien but I have never seen an old one made for the American market. Looking forward to its arrival.

Me too! I found it interesting that an American company chose S & J Fraenkel for their velours. I had assumed that most velours imported to the US for the US market through stores or hat manufactures were from Peschel or Huckel. [huh]

 

[mayserwegener]

They were the bigger two but most of the other big Austrian Velour names dabled in the American market. Importing hats from Europe was extremely difficult due to trade restrictions. S & J Fraenkel Wien was a really great company.

They American Hatter Vol. 42 1913

The American reps had a difficult time because the American hat companies, jobbers and retailers were always trying to go directly to the source or use European suppliers.

 

[alanfgag]

anton peschel neutitschein

remarkably this is the identical liner logo that appears in alan's oviatts los angles "oviatt model" - anton peschel "service" velour!

omg!!!

 

[alanfgag]

Great scoop Josh!

 

[Joshbru3]

They were the bigger two but most of the other big Austrian Velour names dabled in the American market. Importing hats from Europe was extremely difficult due to trade restrictions. S & J Fraenkel Wien was a really great company.

They American Hatter Vol. 42 1913

The American reps had a difficult time because the American hat companies, jobbers and retailers were always trying to go directly to the source or use European suppliers.

VERY interesting, Steve. After all of your research, i'm beginning to think that almost every time we see early 20th century "American" velours, the velour bodies were more than likely almost always imported from German/Austrian makers. I am fairly certain that even Stetson used imported velour bodies....not always....but sometimes.

 

[mayserwegener]

omg!!!

Yes I was very excited when I made this discovery!

 

[mayserwegener]

VERY interesting, Steve. After all of your research, i'm beginning to think that almost every time we see early 20th century "American" velours, the velour bodies were more than likely almost always imported from German/Austrian makers. I am fairly certain that even Stetson used imported velour bodies....not always....but sometimes.

I know for sure that JHS and BB sold Velour hoods and capelines (men's & women's) to The Hat Corporation of America and others. I have read correspondences between Frank Allaire (BB American Rep) and BB Neutitschein / Wien discussing order details and various customer situations / problems.

I haven't been able to find any detailed information on American Velour production. I tend to think the hot wet brush method used to make Real / Prima Austrian and German Velour was not implemented (learning curve plus high labor cost) but it's possible.

By the way I have a much better translation of the Hair Velour / Real (Echter) Velour / Prime (Prima) Velour Fabrikation von Damen- und Herren- Filzhüten, Der Deustchen Hutmacher Zeitung (1933) article.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/216-hair-velour-real-echter-velour-prime-prima-velour-fabrikation-von-damen-und-herren-filzh%C3%BCten-der-deustchen-hutmacher-zeitung-1933/

 

[mayserwegener]

Möckel's Ultra! "Ideal", size 57cm, probably 1920s. This is a really beautifully made Melone! Unfortunately the sweatband reed casing was damaged during shipping because the hat was near mint condition. PH. Möckel Hutfabrik, Homburg vor der Höhe was the hat company that made the original Homburg for Edward VII. The company went out of business in 1932. It came with an old box (Lange's Hutgeschäft Frankfurt a/M.) which I am not sure is original to the hat. There was a silk pad (also Lange's Hutgeschäft Frankfurt a/M.) so I think might have originally contained a silk Top Hat.

 

[mayserwegener]

Continued.

 

[mayserwegener]

Tonak 1799 Colour Card Furfelt and Woolfelt Hats and Hatbodies

 

[mayserwegener]

Continued.

 

[1mach1]

Möckel's Ultra! "Ideal", size 57cm, probably 1920s. This is a really beautifully made Melone! Unfortunately the sweatband reed casing was damaged during shipping because the hat was near mint condition. PH. Möckel Hutfabrik, Homburg vor der Höhe was the hat company that made the original Homburg for Edward VII. The company went out of business in 1932. It came with an old box (Lange's Hutgeschäft Frankfurt a/M.) which I am not sure is original to the hat. There was a silk pad (also Lange's Hutgeschäft Frankfurt a/M.) so I think might have originally contained a silk Top Hat.

Steve, that was a great find. It's a beauty! Cool box and "pillow", even if they are not original to that hat. The finish on it looks really nice. Does it wear like a bowler, by that I mean, is it very ridgid? Bummer about the reed, but I feel like it doesn't really affect the hat at all. Again, nice!!

 

[1mach1]

Tonak 1799 Colour Card Furfelt and Woolfelt Hats and Hatbodies

Very interesting lot of colors. I had no idea there were so many!

 

[mayserwegener]

Steve, that was a great find. It's a beauty! Cool box and "pillow", even if they are not original to that hat. The finish on it looks really nice. Does it wear like a bowler, by that I mean, is it very ridgid? Bummer about the reed, but I feel like it doesn't really affect the hat at all. Again, nice!!

Harv, Yes it's rigid so a typical stiff felt. I was hoping it would be a 58cm but it turned out to be a 57cm so too tight to wear. I sure wish I could find an old Möckel Homburg hat. I consider that the pinnacle.

 

[mayserwegener]

Very interesting lot of colors. I had no idea there were so many!

I forgot the second page which has the felt color breakdown. All the colors are available in Rabbit and Wool. Only the DK and PA colors are available in Hare. They also have some colors that are not on the card.

 

[mayserwegener]

I have 41 additional old hat related printing plates (from Neutitschein / Nový Jičín makers Johann Hückel´s Söhne, Anton Peschel and Brüder Böhm ) coming from Czech Republic. Some have wrapping paper with old photos and could go back to the late 19th century. They look really interesting (at least to me)!

 

[Frunobulax]

You ain't the only one, Steve. I'm having a wonderful vicarious experience with you sharing these pieces of history. It's fascinating.