German & Austrian Hutmachers

[mayserwegener]

Thanks! It was made by Hückel Weilheim (West Germany) so 1950s. I think later mid 1950s is about right. I think you are correct about the Initial Pins but the shop that sold them might have had old stock (or the owner had access to). I don't remove them but that is just a personal choice (if removed they will leave slits in the sweatband). I wear Homburg style hats all the time. Today it's just another hat style.

 

[navarre]

Black Hat, measures 58cm, Crown Open 6 inches, Brim 2 1/4 inches, 84 grams probably later 1930s. This is the fourth hat from my recent find. It doesn't have any labels or company marks. Not sure if it's Wool or Fur Felt (or blend). The felt is extremely light in weight with a very soft hand. It also has a very nice distressed leather sweatband which has buckled. The construction is primitive but the results are not.

MMM, I can taste the mercury in that one from here.

 

[Celia]

After all the historical pictures and info, I thought I'd post an actual hat here for a change. Modern Rockel (1980s). Not a favourite model of mine and two sizes too big anyway so rather than let it gather more dust, I took some pics for this thread as I'm not quite sure what to do with it.

 

[mayserwegener]

Celia, Thanks for posting the Rockel! Also always good to have a sweatband date stamp!

 

[Celia]

Celia, Thanks for posting the Rockel! Also always good to have a sweatband date stamp!

You're welcome. I have an undated German market Borsalino in a similar style as well, I'll take some pictures later if you like.
I am sorry if this question has been answered before (still working my way through this thread I'm afraid), but how common would you say date stamps are in German hats?

I will leave you for now with a whimsical picture I found while looking through our old family albums. Taken around 1954 I believe. I thought it deserved to be in this thread
View media item 1205

 

[mayserwegener]

You're welcome. I have an undated German market Borsalino in a similar style as well, I'll take some pictures later if you like.
I am sorry if this question has been answered before (still working my way through this thread I'm afraid), but how common would you say date stamps are in German hats?

I will leave you for now with a whimsical picture I found while looking through our old family albums. Taken around 1954 I believe. I thought it deserved to be in this thread
View media item 1205

Yes please post the photos of the German Market Borsalino.

I find date stamps occasionally. I have missed some because I don't always look at the entire sweatband. I think they are more prevalent on German sold hats.

Great photo!

 

[Celia]

Yes please post the photos of the German Market Borsalino.

Here you go:

Both this one and the Rockel are very dark blue, which does not really show in the pictures. This colour (Mirtillo) is so dark it's practically black. I got them both from someone whom they didn't fit, as they thought they'd be my size. They in turn got them from their neighbour, who didn't want them anymore. They turned out to be 2 sizes too big for me, and as the person I got them from didn't want them back, they now sit here, being the only two hats I own that I can't wear...

 

[mayserwegener]

Yes similar form (Alpine influence) to the Rockel. The Borsalino is probably late 1960s to mid 1970s. In the later 1970s the old factory started using a year designation on the paper label.

 

[Celia]

Thank you for the British Parliament story. A while ago I came across a British trade study from the same time period where they couldn't understand why the British Hat Companies couldn't match the Austrian Velour coming out of Czechoslovakia (Austria up to WWI) and Austria. I looked for it recently but couldn't find it.

I can't remember where I read it either, but that parliament story always stuck with me.

Another snippet of historical information about the Austrian hat industry around this time can be found here: http://library.fes.de/itf/pdf/amz42/1937/amz42_1937_01.pdf - the things you come across on the internet when you can't sleep

It is a publication of the International Transport Workers' Union from January 1937. In it, they claim that workers' rights and wages in all sectors are being squeezed by fascism. On page 7 they mention the hat industry, nothing about hat manufacturing, but perhaps still an interesting document for those here interested in the era:

Die Hutfabrik ITA in Amstetten, die 500 arbeiter beschäftigt, zahlt ihren Arbeitern Löhne, die 35% unter dem Kollektivvertrag sind. Die EG war gegen die Zustände machtlos, obwohl selbst die Unternehmer eingriffen und der EG mit der Kündigung des gesamten Vertrags drohten, falls sie nicht durchsetzen könne, dass Ita den Vertrag einhalte. Schliesslig griffen einige Minister ein und setzten durch, das Ita nicht 33%, sondern 20% unter dem Kollektivvertrag bezahlte. - In der Ebreichsdorfer Hutfabrik wurden die Löhne zuerst um 6 und dann noch einmal um 4% gekürzt. In zwei Hutfabriken, Bossy und Böhm, Wien, VII, wurden Arbeiterinnen ausgesperrt, weil sie den Lohnkürzungsforderungen der Unternehmer Widerstand entgegensetzen. Die EG betrog die Ausgesperrten um die Gemassregelten-Unterstützung. - Bei den Strohhutapperturen wollte die EG einer Lohnkürzung um 35% zustimmen, was aber von den Arbeitern in einer Versammlung abgelehnt wurde.

Here's my translation. I think EG stands for Einheitsgewerkschaft, which I've translated as CU (Central Union):

The ITA hat factory in Amstetten, which employs 500 workers, pays its workers wages that are 35% lower than the collective labour agreement. The CU was powerless against these conditions even though even the employers intervened and the CU threatened to cancel the whole agreement if they could not get Ita to comply with the contract. In the end a few ministers intervened and enforced that Ita paid 20% rather than 33% less than the collective labour agreement. - In the hat factory in Ebreichsdorf, wages were first cut by 6% and then again by 4%. In two hat factories, Bossy and Böhm, Vienna VII, female employees were locked out, because they resisted against the wage cuts by the employers. The CU cheated the locked out women out of legal support. - For the straw hat finishers the CU wanted to agree to a wage cut of 35%, however this was rejected by the workers in a meeting.

 

[Celia]

^I know about the hat factories in Amstetten and Ebreichsdorf, and of course Brüder Böhm, but can anyone fill me in on Bossy? I don't think I've come across them before...

EDIT - I just checked out the Austrian Hat Industry guide from 1926 on Steve's site, which lists Gius. Bossi (nachf.) in the Auhofstr. 84, Wien XIII. They probably just got the name wrong in the Union publication. More information on Bossi can be found here: http://www.1133.at/document/view/id/55 (Die Fabriken des Wientals). The site is in German, if people are interested I can work on a translation some time.

Speaking of Böhm, this may have been posted before, in which case I apologise for reposting (tried a search of this thread but couldn't find it): the Brüder Böhm Company Collection 1934-1972 on archive.org: https://archive.org/details/bruederboehm_03_reel03

Not for the faint-hearted as it's 735 pages of letters, legal documents etc. I haven't had the time to look through it yet, so I don't know how much of it is of interest.

 

[Celia]

Speaking of Böhm, this may have been posted before, in which case I apologise for reposting (tried a search of this thread but couldn't find it): the Brüder Böhm Company Collection 1934-1972 on archive.org: https://archive.org/details/bruederboehm_03_reel03

Not for the faint-hearted as it's 735 pages of letters, legal documents etc. I haven't had the time to look through it yet, so I don't know how much of it is of interest.

I forgot to post the link to the essential guide to the collection, with handy links to each seperate document at the Leo Baeck Institute / Center for Jewish History: http://findingaids.cjh.org/?pID=249990

Going back to Bossi in Vienna, here are a couple of their bowler hats I found in museum collections:

At the Wien Museum, ca 1914:

Source: http://www.europeanafashion.eu/reco...be893be03eb18554b740637c931c9ab0c8a4826aeabf6

At the Give-egnes Museum:

Source: https://www.kulturarv.dk/mussam/VisGenstand.action?genstandId=3293677

 

[Celia]

A German hat factory that hasn't been mentioned here before (I think anyway): Haugk's hutfabrik in Leipzig.

The company already existed in the 18th century (I found them listed in a trade directory from 1798). They were purveyors to the royal court of Saxony according to this list on Wikipedia. In 1844 they employed 50 workers according to the "Illustrirte Zeitung" for july-december of that year.

Here are some pictures of the hat factory:

From the Deutsche Fotothek: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/DVOSY6DBRSBMFI3JZB6KUUK3XZWHBWR3

From the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig: http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=mu000781

Also Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig: http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=gr002447

The factory building can be seen in the top left of this picture from 1910:

Again from the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig: http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=bb048643

A receipt from 1860:

Same museum as the last few: http://www.europeana.eu/portal/nl/record/08547/sgml_eu_php_obj_s0009342.html?l[p][q]=Haugk&l[r]=3&l[t]=3&q=Haugk

The museum in Leipzig also has two (undated) promotional coins for the company:

http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=z0033063

http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=z0033062

One of their hats is currently for sale on ebay, the listing includes several pictures. Note the company logo mentions Dresden and Leipzig as locations: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Chapeau-Claq...807725?hash=item2a77a327ed:g:2sAAAOSw6DtYWmj3

I'll stop spamming this thread now

 

[Redfokker]

Celia, thank you for all of this wonderful historical information. You are a true Historian! I doff my Homburg to you!

 

[mayserwegener]

A German hat factory that hasn't been mentioned here before (I think anyway): Haugk's hutfabrik in Leipzig.

The company already existed in the 18th century (I found them listed in a trade directory from 1798). They were purveyors to the royal court of Saxony according to this list on Wikipedia. In 1844 they employed 50 workers according to the "Illustrirte Zeitung" for july-december of that year.

Here are some pictures of the hat factory:

From the Deutsche Fotothek: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/DVOSY6DBRSBMFI3JZB6KUUK3XZWHBWR3

View attachment 65829
From the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig: http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=mu000781

View attachment 65830
Also Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig: http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=gr002447

The factory building can be seen in the top left of this picture from 1910:
View attachment 65831
Again from the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig: http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=bb048643

A receipt from 1860:
View attachment 65832
Same museum as the last few: http://www.europeana.eu/portal/nl/record/08547/sgml_eu_php_obj_s0009342.html?l[p][q]=Haugk&l[r]=3&l[t]=3&q=Haugk

The museum in Leipzig also has two (undated) promotional coins for the company:
View attachment 65833
http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=z0033063

View attachment 65834
http://museum.zib.de/sgml_internet/sgml.php?seite=5&fld_0=z0033062

One of their hats is currently for sale on ebay, the listing includes several pictures. Note the company logo mentions Dresden and Leipzig as locations: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Chapeau-Claq...807725?hash=item2a77a327ed:g:2sAAAOSw6DtYWmj3

I'll stop spamming this thread now

Celia, Thanks! I seem to recall seeing this company while searching. They are not on the Kelly's Directory Of Merchants, Manufacturers And Shippers for 1915 but that doesn't mean much. I have to see if they are on any lists that I have. I really appreciate the information so please keep searching / posting!

 

[Celia]

Celia, thank you for all of this wonderful historical information. You are a true Historian! I doff my Homburg to you!

Thank you very much, that's kind of you to say

Celia, Thanks! I seem to recall seeing this company while searching. They are not on the Kelly's Directory Of Merchants, Manufacturers And Shippers for 1915 but that doesn't mean much. I have to see if they are on any lists that I have. I really appreciate the information so please keep searching / posting!

You are very welcome. There are adverts for Haugk hats in the Leipziger Zeitung in 1829. They were also represented at the 5th industrial exhibition of the Leipzig Polytechnical Society in 1840, they are listed in the catalogue. I haven't found out when they disappeared yet...

 

[Frunobulax]

Thank you very much, that's kind of you to say


You are very welcome. There are adverts for Haugk hats in the Leipziger Zeitung in 1829. They were also represented at the 5th industrial exhibition of the Leipzig Polytechnical Society in 1840, they are listed in the catalogue. I haven't found out when they disappeared yet...

It's not spamming. That's what this thread is for.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Celia]

It's not spamming. That's what this thread is for.

Sent directly from my mind to yours.

Haha, thank you! I suddenly realised it was just me posting one thing after another, and I felt a bit like a crazy lady having a conversation with myself I love seeing everybody's hats and the friendly banter here, but I'm really in my element digging through archive materials and doing research, so I get a bit carried away...

 

[Frunobulax]

Haha, thank you! I suddenly realised it was just me posting one thing after another, and I felt a bit like a crazy lady having a conversation with myself I love seeing everybody's hats and the friendly banter here, but I'm really in my element digging through archive materials and doing research, so I get a bit carried away...

I'm enjoying your input.

You're probably still crazy, though.

We like that around here!

 

[Celia]

I'm enjoying your input.

You're probably still crazy, though.

We like that around here!

Thank you. I know I'm crazy. Certified. Just don't tell anyone

Back on topic, a bit more about Haugk's Hutfabrik in Leipzig.

The first picture of the factory I posted before was taken from a book called Album der Sächsischen Industrie published in 1856. you can see a facsimile of the whole book online here. The chapter with the hat factory picture starts off with a general history of hat wearing and then focuses on Haugk's hat factory in particular. Here are the relevant pages:

If people have difficulty reading the German print, but are interested in the content, I can see if I can transcribe/translate it at some point.

 

[mayserwegener]

I forgot to post the link to the essential guide to the collection, with handy links to each seperate document at the Leo Baeck Institute / Center for Jewish History: http://findingaids.cjh.org/?pID=249990

Going back to Bossi in Vienna, here are a couple of their bowler hats I found in museum collections:

At the Wien Museum, ca 1914:
View attachment 65823
Source: http://www.europeanafashion.eu/reco...be893be03eb18554b740637c931c9ab0c8a4826aeabf6

At the Give-egnes Museum:
View attachment 65824
View attachment 65825
Source: https://www.kulturarv.dk/mussam/VisGenstand.action?genstandId=3293677

Thanks! Bossi is a brand that I have some what neglected. I would like to find an old Soft Felt but I don't believe I have come across one during a general search. I have a good number of digital copies of their old advertisements but nothing of real substance. Here is advertisement from the December 5th 1936 edition of the Austrian Hat Makers News.