Hi all,
I wanted to know if anyone knew anything about the hats seen in the pictures below. They were quite common with Orthodox Jews prior to the 2nd World War and, within the community, seem to be remembered as being of Austrian origin (I have heard of one being produced by Huckle - Vien but cannot verify). Given that these differ from later Huckle-made Hasidic hats (and that later hasidic Huckel hats took inspiration from this mystery model), it is unclear whether the connection is genuine or just speculation based on the similarities. The oral tradition surrounding these hats within the Jewish community centers around the supposed Austrian origin of these hats. Apparently, they were popular in Austria around the turn of the century and, because of this, Jews who traveled to Israel would wear them in order to avoid persecution from Ottoman authorities; apparently, wearing popular Viennese attire would indicate you were an Austrian citizen, so police would avoid unnecessary confrontation in order to avoid international incident. Whether this is true or not, I do not know, but it's an interesting story regardless!
I have two requests with this post, first, does anyone know what style this would be called or if it was a specific make/model? Secondly, if anyone has seen any (or finds one available), let me know!
Interestingly, Orthodox Jews in this period were often dressing as respectably trendy as possible (compared to today when the clothing seems quite dated). The idea being that you wanted to demonstrate to others that, as an Orthodox Jew, your lifestyle and background were to be respected and seen as fashionable. This fits well with the story of Viennese fashion and is also why you see a lot of old photos of Orthodox and Hasidic Jews wearing fedoras, colorful suits, and, basically, a wide range of acceptable formal clothing of the time (often with less eye-catching colors).
Thanks for any help!
Sam
I wanted to know if anyone knew anything about the hats seen in the pictures below. They were quite common with Orthodox Jews prior to the 2nd World War and, within the community, seem to be remembered as being of Austrian origin (I have heard of one being produced by Huckle - Vien but cannot verify). Given that these differ from later Huckle-made Hasidic hats (and that later hasidic Huckel hats took inspiration from this mystery model), it is unclear whether the connection is genuine or just speculation based on the similarities. The oral tradition surrounding these hats within the Jewish community centers around the supposed Austrian origin of these hats. Apparently, they were popular in Austria around the turn of the century and, because of this, Jews who traveled to Israel would wear them in order to avoid persecution from Ottoman authorities; apparently, wearing popular Viennese attire would indicate you were an Austrian citizen, so police would avoid unnecessary confrontation in order to avoid international incident. Whether this is true or not, I do not know, but it's an interesting story regardless!
I have two requests with this post, first, does anyone know what style this would be called or if it was a specific make/model? Secondly, if anyone has seen any (or finds one available), let me know!
Interestingly, Orthodox Jews in this period were often dressing as respectably trendy as possible (compared to today when the clothing seems quite dated). The idea being that you wanted to demonstrate to others that, as an Orthodox Jew, your lifestyle and background were to be respected and seen as fashionable. This fits well with the story of Viennese fashion and is also why you see a lot of old photos of Orthodox and Hasidic Jews wearing fedoras, colorful suits, and, basically, a wide range of acceptable formal clothing of the time (often with less eye-catching colors).
Thanks for any help!
Sam
