German & Austrian Hutmachers

[Steve1857]

Great links and photos, Steve. Gest was indeed one of the true and original theatre impresarios.

One could say, he's the imprint of the stereotype. Nevertheless, he was one of the originals.

I came across this story a while ago but on recently found a copy of the book "Behind the Curtains of the Broadway's Beauty Trust. Page, Will A.. 1927". The story "Mr. Gest and Velour" was written by Gene Buck who was an American illustrator of sheet music, musical theater lyricist, and president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Morris Gest was a famous American theatrical producer of the early 20th century. (Might have to click on the photos to enlarge.)

There are many photos (so the story is true) of Morris Gest in an Austrian Velour Hat but this is the best one I could find that shows some detail and was free of copyright fee. The photo is from a series photos from an overseas voyage to Europe probably mid 1920s. The Velour looks of lighter weight so maybe similar to J. Hückel´s Söhne Zephyr Seal Velour.

Here is wearing the same hat but can't see any detail.

Here is wearing a Back Bow Trachten Hat with Brush.

This is a publicity photo from the same time period but it has an expensive copyright fee.

https://www.granger.com/results.asp?image=0620133&itemw=4&itemf=0001&itemstep=1&itemx=5

Here is more on Morris Gest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Gest

Here is more on Gene Buck.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Buck

 

[mayserwegener]

Great links and photos, Steve. Gest was indeed one of the true and original theatre impresarios.

One could say, he's the imprint of the stereotype. Nevertheless, he was one of the originals.

Steve, Thanks! Yes he was definitely a character but also a devoted (his signature) classic Austrian Black Velour Hat wearer.

 

[steur]

Peschel velour in H. Rex quality (whatever that is). Size 56 with the bound brim at 6,5cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. It's a shorter haired velour with a great hand to the felt. The colour reminds me of Borsalino's Lupo colour, but it's a bit lighter and more grey.

 

[Steve1857]

Fantastic Peschel, Stefan. I can just about feel that felt.
My one and only Peschel is one of my favourite felts. Great hand to it.

Peschel velour in H. Rex quality (whatever that is). Size 56 with the bound brim at 6,5cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. It's a shorter haired velour with a great hand to the felt. The colour reminds me of Borsalino's Lupo colour, but it's a bit lighter and more grey.

 

[steur]

Fantastic Peschel, Stefan. I can just about feel that felt.
My one and only Peschel is one of my favourite felts. Great hand to it.

Thanks, Steve. Yes, I remember that Chevret; a fabulous felt indeed. Never found another quite like it.

 

[mayserwegener]

This auction finished today.

"Emperor Francis Joseph I of Austria - A Personal Bowler Hat, Carl Weyrich III. Fasangasse 17 Wien, black wool felt, silk repp band and rim trimmed with silk repp band, leather sweat band, silk lining, on the inside manufacturer’s mark "Carl Weyrich III. Fasangasse 17 Wien" with imperial double eagle and the emperor’s gold-embossed initials "FJI.", 31.5 x 26 cm, c. 1900, (Lu)

Personal bowler hat of the emperor, worn in civil dress. There are several photos of the emperor showing him with this hat model. Especially well-known is the image of Emperor Francis Joseph I with his grandnephew Archduke Charles Francis Joseph in the year 1894 in a park at Cannes.

The Realized Price: EUR 25,300"

You can see more detailed photos here.

https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/6887...&utm_campaign=barnebys&utm_content=2020-10-19

If scroll down to Lot 86 you can see the Realized Price.

https://www.dorotheum.com/en/a/72373/#6887923

I couldn't find any detailed in information on Carl / Karl Weyrich so can't say if the Stiff Felt was sourced or made in house. The physical location on Google Maps is retail today but there could have been some type of small production. Carl / Karl Weyrich doesn't come up in any of Austrian Hat Maker News member lists. He is listed on page 25 of the Austrian Industry Guide (1926).

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/217-austrian-hat-industry-guide-1926/

 

[steur]

This auction finished today.

"Emperor Francis Joseph I of Austria - A Personal Bowler Hat, Carl Weyrich III. Fasangasse 17 Wien, black wool felt, silk repp band and rim trimmed with silk repp band, leather sweat band, silk lining, on the inside manufacturer’s mark "Carl Weyrich III. Fasangasse 17 Wien" with imperial double eagle and the emperor’s gold-embossed initials "FJI.", 31.5 x 26 cm, c. 1900, (Lu)

Personal bowler hat of the emperor, worn in civil dress. There are several photos of the emperor showing him with this hat model. Especially well-known is the image of Emperor Francis Joseph I with his grandnephew Archduke Charles Francis Joseph in the year 1894 in a park at Cannes.

The Realized Price: EUR 25,300"

You can see more detailed photos here.

https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/6887...&utm_campaign=barnebys&utm_content=2020-10-19

If scroll down to Lot 86 you can see the Realized Price.

https://www.dorotheum.com/en/a/72373/#6887923

I couldn't find any detailed in information on Carl / Karl Weyrich so can't say if the Stiff Felt was sourced or made in house. The physical location on Google Maps is retail today but there could have been some type of small production. Carl / Karl Weyrich doesn't come up in any of Austrian Hat Maker News member lists. He is listed on page 25 of the Austrian Industry Guide (1926).

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/217-austrian-hat-industry-guide-1926/

So, did you win it?

 

[mayserwegener]

So, did you win it?

Stefan, No, I was too late! Maybe Max? Based on the measurements it might be in 58 cm range.

 

[the_imperialist]

Hard acts to follow! but recent arrival - 20s/30s German Velour by what I make out as E Tescher of Freiburg, but couldn't find out much online.

Age is purely guesswork, seller sold as a 20s hat, which is possible based on styling and quality of felt (very soft and 'floppish' which lends well to rakish look) and looks like it would've taken a clip for the centre crease. Unfortunately no labels or tags behind the sweat.

Appreciate any thoughts or guidance.

 

[mayserwegener]

Hard acts to follow! but recent arrival - 20s/30s German Velour by what I make out as E Tescher of Freiburg, but couldn't find out much online.

Age is purely guesswork, seller sold as a 20s hat, which is possible based on styling and quality of felt (very soft and 'floppish' which lends well to rakish look) and looks like it would've taken a clip for the centre crease. Unfortunately no labels or tags behind the sweat.

Appreciate any thoughts or guidance.

View attachment 272031 View attachment 272032 View attachment 272033 View attachment 272034 View attachment 272035

Wayne, Great find! I assume that is Freiburg im Breisgau. I did find a snippet from "Amtliches Einwohnerbuch der Hauptstadt Freiburg im Breisgau nach amtl. Unterlagen. 1925/26 (1925)" that mentions Emil Trescher Spezialhause für Hüte und Mützen / Special House for Men's Hats and Caps but at a different street address (Fahnenbergplaß 3.2). Can you make out anything on the liner? I can't detect any feature that points to a specific Hat Company. If you hit it with a lot of steam some stiffness might come back.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Great research, Steve, you're right! On the leather I read:
E. Trescher
Freiburg / B(reisgau)
Kaiserstrasse (...) (= Kaiser-Joseph-Straße!?)

I found a postcard (1909) with the "Neues Rathaus" in Freiburg/Br.:

There is a sign at the house on the right side: "Hut-Lager (hat stock) E. Trescher".
According to my research the house must be "Rathausgasse 3" today;
the Kaiser-Joseph-Straße is just about 10 m away "in the back of the photographer"!

If I am not mistaken, the lining has no manufacturer's stamp,
but on the picture it seems that it also says : (... T)RESCHER
Below that are either 2 lines of writing or it is a kind of coat of arms.
I can't see it exactly, but maybe Wayne has the possibility
for another photo? With streaky light?

In any case this is a great find: Congrats!

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

As a supplement:
The sign on the house has the shape of a top hat
and I just found a collapsible top hat from E. Trescher.

So now we have Kaiserstrasse 109, Rathausgasse 3, Fahnenbergplatz
and Franziskanerplatz for Trescher hats...

https://m.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-a...scher-freiburg-groesse-57/1248911068-155-9367

 

[the_imperialist]

Great detective work Steve and Matt! Matt nails it - the liner does say (!?)
E Tescher, Freiburg I B
Kaiserstrasr 109
Franziskaner Platz

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

You're welcome, Wayne! I love such mystery hats and "solving the riddle".

But the question remains where the hat or the felt came from,
because I don't think Trescher was a manufacturer.
But that will surely not be solved without any labels...

 

[mayserwegener]

You're welcome, Wayne! I love such mystery hats and "solving the riddle".

But the question remains where the hat or the felt came from,
because I don't think Trescher was a manufacturer.
But that will surely not be solved without any labels...

Matt, Thank you for all the great follow up information! The address is different and one location in the 1925/26 listing I found. Could be the hats are later. My guess is Wayne's Velour was sourced but I can't find anything that points to a specific hat company.

 

[steur]

Hard acts to follow! but recent arrival - 20s/30s German Velour by what I make out as E Tescher of Freiburg, but couldn't find out much online.

Age is purely guesswork, seller sold as a 20s hat, which is possible based on styling and quality of felt (very soft and 'floppish' which lends well to rakish look) and looks like it would've taken a clip for the centre crease. Unfortunately no labels or tags behind the sweat.

Appreciate any thoughts or guidance.

View attachment 272031 View attachment 272032 View attachment 272033 View attachment 272034 View attachment 272035

Great find, Wayne!

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Matt, Thank you for all the great follow up information! The address is different and one location in the 1925/26 listing I found. Could be the hats are later. My guess is Wayne's Velour was sourced but I can't find anything that points to a specific hat company.

You're welcome, too, Steve. How I said: Love these "mysteries"!
I am completely with you: Trescher is only the distributor, not the manufacturer.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Today I also have something new:
Hückel "Elastic" Melone/Derby - as we have seen from Steve and others here often. Any Dating? 30s?
Condition of this one is ok, unfortunately already before and then a little more dented by the transport.
But the flexible stiff felt - this is completely new to me - will be able to compensate the marks.
The hat has not yet been treated properly with steam and brush: please forgive me.

The sweat is also quite well intact and above all still supple.

The real reason for my purchase is the fantastic green liner,
which is glued and not sewn in - usual for stiff felts?

The label...

And here is an interesting detail behind the leather at the front:
A wavy piece of felt (black) with plain felt (white) over it - sewn in.
Reminds me of a mixture of cork strips and the intermediate piece at the Borsalinos.
Is this typical for the "Elastic"?

 

[steur]

Today I also have something new:
Hückel "Elastic" Melone/Derby - as we have seen from Steve and others here often. Any Dating? 30s?
Condition of this one is ok, unfortunately already before and then a little more dented by the transport.
But the flexible stiff felt - this is completely new to me - will be able to compensate the marks.
The hat has not yet been treated properly with steam and brush: please forgive me.

The sweat is also quite well intact and above all still supple.

The real reason for my purchase is the fantastic green liner,
which is glued and not sewn in - usual for stiff felts?

The label...

And here is an interesting detail behind the leather at the front:
A wavy piece of felt (black) with plain felt (white) over it - sewn in.
Reminds me of a mixture of cork strips and the intermediate piece at the Borsalinos.
Is this typical for the "Elastic"?

Great find, Matt. Love that liner.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Thanks, Stefan! The liner looks and feels great.
Steve also has a Hückel "Elastic" with the same liner - in a nice brown colour.