German & Austrian Hutmachers

[mayserwegener]

It would be interesting to find out who owns the Hückel trade mark for Germany. I believe TONAK owns it for most other places.

[Joshbru3]

J. Hückel´s Söhne 110th Anniversary booklet. It includes a short history (in German) of the company and some very nice lithographs. I had to be careful not to damage the pages while taking the photos.

WOW!!! What a history!! The photos in this book are so much rarer than early photos of Stetson, Knox, or Mallory. This book probably is one of only a handful that exist. I would imagine not a whole lot survived after WW1 and especially after WW2. Wonderful find! Thanks so much for sharing these incredible photos with us!!

[mayserwegener]

Josh, Thanks! It's an impressive document in hand. I know the City Museum of Novy Jicin (Czech Republic) has a copy too.

[jerrea]

Great thread, wish I could read German! Thanks for the info on the Breiter.

[Chepstow]

Here is a Google Translation from Steves great Hückel book.
I have scanned the jpg with an OCR Reader in the German language, the rest makes Googel.
I hope It helps, and you can read it!

From small beginnings, our company has developed in the course of a century to its present size, and significance. In the traditional forms of
Craft was founded and continued through two generations, it owes its growth and prosperity of its timely application and utilization of technical progress and the
Urnsicht commercial and energy of its owner.
The foundation of our company is in the
year 1799th In this year was John NEPÜMUK Huckel, a native of Fulnek in Moravia, the Hutmachermeisters JOSEF Huckel and ELIZABETH GOLD illegitimate son of the Hutmacherzunft in Neutitschein remains a masterpiece of urban and recorded.
Twelve years later, in 1811 it was his younger brother Augustin, in the milliners since 1808 Fulnek
after. He also was accepted by the guild on a straight Neutitscheiner Hatter completed master site.
each of the two brothers ran the business self. In the year 1835 bought JOHANN Huckel,
Son of AUGUSTIN Huckel, the master rights and took over the business of his uncle Johann. As
in the year I848, his father died he took over the trade of AUGUSTIN Huckel and led both
combined in the previous tradesman's form continues. Still had the hand in all stages
the working generation alone, still found the old ways of using tools that have been
immemorial for manual operation were in use. The finished product was in place and
Markets offered for sale, the shipping and commercial operation was within the narrowest limits.
JOHN HÜCKEL but showed full understanding for the demands of his time. He saw the mighty
Advances in technology and the necessity to design its trade or business factory.

He sent his sons AUGUST, John and Karl, after the first two craft in the old
Way had learned in the world and had them the technical and commercial operation on the forms
outstanding foreign places of the hat industry meet. Equipped with a rich store
technical and business experience came his sons in the home and back to their suggestions back, he led in the year 1865 a production was the first in Austria to the mechanical operation of Fedora, a 3 pferdige steam engine and some working machines from being up, but soon proved to be the system as inadequate. The brothers AUGUST, JOHN CHARLES Huckel and took over from her father or by a decade of advice and support, with 1 Jannuary 1868, the company HÜCKEL'S SONS, the young plant. They
acquired a conveniently located property outside the city and erected there a new Fabriks
system on a large scale, it concludes with the most modern technical aids ausstatteten. They were able to quickly
to achieve a product that was the most prominent brands ausIändischen equivalent and with these
could compete successfully on the world market in competition. The in between Germany and France
the years 1870-71 perpetual war crippled the sales of these two countries, which until then the world market
had dominated, and thus provided the company an opportunity abroad, to grasp, especially in the overseas countries, a firm footing. The company is understood to seize the opportunity offered good. The obtained ErIolge excited again about new additions and improvements to production, which enabled the company to the sales area gained through hard work and still hold to increase continuously. In particular, the company introduced as the first mechanical Haarfilzhutfabrik Haarschneiderei as municipal enterprise. Although already had the old guild master, also operated AUGUSTIN Huckel, the Haarschneiderei with hand power, but with the
Introduction of the production of the raw material was Haarfilzhutfabrikation become an independent branch of industry that flourished in Belgium, Germany and France, in Austria was represented not at all. Similarly, the company started the production of all others for the completion and delivery of their products with the sole exception of the tools necessary materials for food, and leather belt in her hand, so that it is capable of almost exclusively with their own funds from the Rohstoße produce the transportable product.
Sun, the company grew to its present extent, which made it necessary, the sons of the
former sole owner, HUGO, OTTO, HANS FRITZ and Huckel (the fourth generation}, as an employee in the company record.
The factory facilities now cover an area of ​​44 500 m2 factory, and warehouse buildings alone
18 800 m2
Two fur keep the magazines at home and abroad procured raw material of rabbits, rabbit and
Nutriafellen.
About 16,000 skins arrive every day to process and move through the hair tailoring, specialized machine shop, a fulling mill, dyeing, leather finishing and StafHerung leave spaces in the pack to the factory as a finished Haariilzhüte. Our own carpentry, wood turning, metalworking, foundry and printing - get everyone operating on the scope of a small factory producing the necessary tools. All work spaces are designed light and airy, with the
most reliable heating and ventilation equipment (Sturtevant System) equipped. Walk in the halls and dyeing
prevents the injected through an extensive pipe system, hot air any haze in the at
the workshops are siphonic apparatus employed with such success that the dust in the plants developed
will eliminate up to barely perceptible traces. The mechanical equipment of the plant corresponds
the present state of the art. The latest innovations and improvements in the areas of
Machines are in use here. Twelve steam boilers and four steam engines deliver
the operating force of 1100 horse-power. The actual plant operation concerned a uniform
Steam engine of 600 horsepower, of which 250 to electrically using 25 electric motors
be transmitted. Two steam engines of 250 horsepower together operate the electric lighting
and ventilation systems. The fourth 250 hp steam engine forms the Reserve. The supply of
Boiler requires three daily coal wagons. The factory currently employs 2,000 workers and a
appropriate number of officials and business leaders, it is set up for a daily production of 5,000 hair hats. The company has always had the care of the welfare of its officials, business leaders and workers have been set. A colony of workers' houses, which for I00 families provides cheap and healthy housing, housing for officials and business leaders, further the existing 1863 Health Insurance Fund, which has been years existing disability insurance officials and business leaders, the insurance of their widows and orphans, a sufficiently
doped Alterss, widows and orphans' pension fund of the workers are evidence of the care which the company
their dedicated employees. With pride, the company can point out that the good relationship between her
and their workers has so far never suffered a haze.
The services of the company have been recognized on a series of exhibitions of the highest honors awarded by: Vienna in 1873 with the Fortschrittmmedaille, at the World Exposition in Philadelphia, I876
with the highest distinction of the world exhibitions in Paris in I876 with the big golden medal and 1900
with the Grand Prix. The merits of the owner to the creation and development of its industrial sector in Austria were also at the highest point assessment, such as the award of GOLD CROWN OF MERIT CROSS WITH THE JOHANN to Hückel

[Chepstow]

The Hückel Extra arrived today. A very nice warm brown and shorter brim as I thought.
The felt is stiff and malleable! No Hückel Logo on the Sweatband, maybe a special retailer Sweatband.
Handwritten Numbers on a piece fabric and stamp with 1951

[mayserwegener]

Manfred, Thank you doing the translation! Interesting to note they were able to capitalize from the impact of the Franco-Prussian War on Germany and France. Super find with the Hückel Extra. Is that 55 1/2 on the paper label?

[Chepstow]

Thanks Steve, yes the fabric piece schows 55 1/2 German size 55,5.
On the vendor photos, the brim looks bigger. It actually measured 5,0 cm

[mayserwegener]

Is the liner stitched in?

[Chepstow]

No, it´s glued!