habigman

Karl Misik (KAMI) "Special", size 58cm, NOS condition, WWII era.

J.Hückel´s Söhne "Flexible" Melone, size 58cm, 155 grams, probably 1930s. This one belongs to Manfred.

Continued. Here are some photos open crown. Close-up of the brim stitching. I had to snap the brim down to take the photo. The angled stitching is visible with brim up which causes an unusual effect where the welt edge looks like it has a saw tooth cut. Natural Light

Echter Borsalino, 5 1/2 inch open crown, 2 1/2 inch brim, size 6 Point, very good condition, date stamped May 18, 1929. The felt is very soft / light weight with a unique very wide ribbon and bow design. It has an fantastic over welt that doesn't allow snapping. The sweatband and silk liner (unique color) are of the highest quality. I was able to take a photo of the paper label which has a hand written Point size and the words "Fico" and "Lama". The Berlin store / hat company (Max Eckard) that sold it did not survive WWII. The box is from a different Berlin hat store (Wilhelm Gaedke) that also didn't survive WWII. This hat is from the same seller as the Point 5 1/2 and Point 6 1/2 Max Eckard "Sanboca" Echter Borsalinos. All three hats are very special / rare finds.

Factory for felt hats stood in Karlin between 1905 and 1927 (from that time and the house), Mr Karel Misík whose uncle, Andrew Felix Hess, the founder of the company. OF Hess has already built a factory in Husinec (today known locally as Šumavan), he has transferred to his nephew Karl Misík (grandfather of the current owner lady. He Husinecká factory improved and earned about to build a new factory in Karlín. Factory (according to contemporary documents) consisted of three parallel rows of buildings on the south end connected into one unit. Towards the Pernerova Street factory was completed two symmetrical houses, of which he was no longer worth the eastern and today in those places entrance to the campus. During totality warehouses were bus. Unsuitable rebuilding of the time the best survived boiler room which remained essentially preserved in its original form. The chimney is one of the best preserved in Karlin, a low circular base, the mosaic inscription on the stem and "OF HESS". The crown is fixed. The chimney was still functioning until recently. Felt hats factory built Ondrej Felix Hess. After him, the factory took his nephew Karel Misík, who have become great, diversified production and thus built still factory in Karlín . Both then function as "United hat factory, K. Misík". The Husinecka chronicle the war was appointed as the company Otavan. After winning fallow land was confiscated and incorporated under NC Tonak in Novy Jicin, which of course was for the local company happy, because even though the plant fulfills the plan was an effort management especially Toanku dispose of it from a purely competitive reasons. Eventually, in 1951, production was discontinued hats. The factory building was located manufacturing of clothing. 1.7 1952 After long negotiations on the initiative of employees in a factory established OTAVAN repair hats. This repair work for many local businesses have been modernly furnished (equipped with machines of the liquidated factories hats in Bohemia). Husinecká plant was incorporated under a new national enterprise for making hats Otavan based in Katowice. O.F. Hess in the Kelly's Directory Of Merchants, Manufacturers And Shippers, 1915, Austrian Hat Manufacturers. Gendarmerie helmet 1942 http://www.vhu.cz/exhibit/cetnicka-prilba-1942/

Hut Braun Bahnhofstr. 15 83317 Teisendorf Some photos of Hut Braun by ErWeSa / Wolfgang. A painting of St. Jacob, the patron of the hatters on the Braun house.

Yes this was a big problem especially after WWI. This is why JHS set up a factory in Ratibor (German Silesia) so they could sell into Germany. JHS main factory location Neutitschein became part of Czecho Slovakia after WWI so they had trouble exporting to Germany which was their largest market. http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/6-johann-h%C3%BCckel%C2%B4s-s%C3%B6hne-h%C3%BCckel-hutfabrik-weilheim/page-8&do=findComment&comment=961 By the way I think the report is misleading because the largest Austrian hat company (JHS) was in the Czech Republic (although they still had offices in Wien) after WWI. JHS (the largest hat company in Europe) and Peschel (and others) started exporting Austrian Velours to America prior to WWI. The style became very popular in America around 1910.

Mayser put up a great Pinterest board with many old photos. Definitely worth checking out! https://www.pinterest.com/mymayser/pins/ Here are some samples.

U.S. Commerce Report from 1921 describes the state of the Austrian hat industry post WWI.

S. & J. Fraenkel Wien, size 57cm, brim 2 1/4 inches, crown 5 1/2 open, excellent condition. Natural Light

Great flea market find by Manfred.

J. Hückel´s Söhne Neutitschein - Wien (1909) Just received this today. Notice Modehut (Fashion Hat).

Continued.

I had the chance to check further adressbooks (1953 - 1963, forgot to get 1958). Suprising the change of hatshops/makers. In 1955 a new shop appears, Andress. Then there was an Ita branch at Zell am See, but just shortly as it seems. And there is Slama, but only as Herrenausstatter, not as hat shop. (Comments by ErWeSa / Wolfgang)

I finally found the time to check old Salzburg address books from 1949/50, 1951 and 1952 (see attachments). To my great surprise there are much less hat shops/makers than I had expected. (Comments by ErWeSa / Wolfgang)

Scott & Co., size 60cm. This Melone belongs to ErWeSa (Wolfgang). It was sold by Collins Wien.

This Melone "Perle" belongs to ErWeSa but there is no company mark and no paper label but probably a Austrian or German company. Estimated size is 56cm. Really like the liner color and sweatband.

Heinrich Sandmann Wien. This fantastic Seiden Zylinderhut belongs to ErWeSe (Wolfgang).

Listed in the Austrian Hat Industry Guide (1926). Sandmann Heinrich, Wien XV., Mariahilferstr. 141. As of 1926 Heinrich Sandmann was Chairman Federal Association of Austrian Hatters Cooperatives and Chairman of the Vienna Hatters Cooperatives.

J. Spielmann Innsbruck. This fantastic Seiden Zylinderhut belongs to ErWeSa (Wolfgang).

Listed in the Austrian Hat Industry Guide (1926). Spielmann Josef, Wwe., Innsbruck

Ottmar Reich, probably early to mid 1960s. The sweatband was replaced. This one belongs to ErWeSa (Wolfgang).

Collins Salzburg. This one belongs to ErWeSa (Wolfgang).

Mayser, gray. This one belongs to ErWeSa (Wolfgang). Sold by Geiger of Salzburg.