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Johann Hückel´s Söhne (pre 1940)

Messages
18,286
Location
Maryland
J. Hückel´s Söhne "Durit", FP 5 1/2, possibly 1930s and made for the French Market. The liner is missing. This Velour belongs to Daniele.

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Messages
18,286
Location
Maryland
J. Hückel´s Söhne Extra "Loutre / European Otter", Point size 4 1/2, probably late 1800s. This is the oldest JHS Soft Felt I have encountered. This museum piece Velour belongs to Garrett. The photos were lost here at the FL. The form of this Velour is similar to early Edward VII Homburg Hats. Everything about this Velour amazing!

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This is the hat carton that came with the hat and it's from the same location (Schweidnitz, Germany now Świdnica, Poland) as the retail shop so probably original to the hat.

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Mean Eyed Matt

One Too Many
Messages
1,245
Location
Germany
J. Hückel's Söhne "Chamois" in a wonderful dark blue
The pictures are too dark, but one fits in terms of color.
open crown at 14 cm, brim at 5 cm; maybe late 30s
Unfortunately it's small, but my wife chose the hat anyway
(Sorry, Panos, this is the second one, but your stack is not in danger)
I think this is the first pre-war Hückel chamoise we have -
at least I've only found wonderful hats here with this finish
that are from the 50s and well known.
But maybe Steve has something up his sleeve?

The hat was sold at L. R. Zeumer, a shop belonging to the
well-known and traditional family of furriers and hat makers:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/german-austrian-hutmachers.32103/post-1285010
https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/84-l-r-zeumer-hutfabrik-mannheim/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pelzwaren_N._R._Zeumer,_Mannheim_1903.jpg
At the last link there is also a slightly more detailed version of the data
on the Zeumer family that Steve compiled/obtained from the Mannheim archive:
Company history:
According to a document, the Zeumers have been working as hat makers since 1639.
In 1786, at the age of 39, Johann Heinrich Zeumer became self-employed as a hatter
and furrier in Schleiz, Thuringia. He will be 73 years old.
1785 Birth of the son Johann Sebastian, who also learned his father's craft and
was already a master craftsman when he married in 1811.
1821 Birth of his son, Heinrich Gustav, who also took up the profession.
When he married in 1844, he had already passed his master's examination.
In 1857 their son Louis Richard Zeumer was born, who also learned the craft
of furriers and hat makers. After a time in London, he set up his own business
in Mannheim on December 1, 1886 (see advertisement).
In 1888 he moved to Breite Straße.
In 1885 he moved to the last location (1987) at Mannheim H 1, 6.
The renowned Zeumer bathing establishment also opened in 1885.
As part of a contract with the city of Mannheim, this was one of
Mannheim's five private pools until the city's Herschelbad was opened.
The two sons Richard and Arthur also learned the hat making and furrier trade.
In 1921 Richard Zeumer went to America, where, after a number of years of travel,
he ran a renowned fur business in Argentina until 1956.
In 1926, Louis Richard Zeumer took over the H 1, 6-7 business after his father
retired to his retirement home, a farm on Lake Constance, where he died at the age of 84.
In 1927, the Heisel hat shop, located next to H 1, 7, was taken over and connected
to the previous business premises with a major renovation. At the beginning of the 1930s
it was the largest hat and cap shop in southern Germany. Even after the Second World War,
40 waitresses often sold 2,000 or more men's hats on Christmas Saturdays and Sundays,
not counting the caps.
On September 6, 1943, the company building was completely destroyed in a bomb attack.
The relocated machines were soon relocated to a new location, Mannheim S 1, 3,
and fell victim to another bomb attack that same night. After purchasing new machines,
initially installed in S 1 5, then in Mannheim S 1, 2, production of Wehrmacht canine vests
was resumed. The business continued even after the main business was rebuilt,
although it was not satisfactorily profitable due to its unfavorable location.
It was not until 1948, three years after the end of the war, that Arthur Zeumer's son,
Richard, returned from captivity. He had a sister. He studied agriculture before
joining the company. He took over the newly opened branch in Bad Kreuznach,
the former Heinrich Erkenroth store.
In 1949 the first phase of the old, bombed-out house was restored.
In 1966, the completely rebuilt Kreuznach branch was converted into its own company,
and in 1980 it was enlarged as part of another renovation.
In 1966, the former company Janzer + Block in Weinheim/Bergstraße was also taken over.
In 1987, the 7th generation, wholesale and foreign trade merchant Thomas Zeumer,
son of Ingeborg and Werner Zeumer, celebrated the company's 200th anniversary.
The main company had now undergone some major renovations. Henning Zeumer,
son of Richard Zeumer, was supposed to take over the business in Bad Kreuznach.
Richard Zeumer was also chairman of the Bad Kreuznach retail association at the time;
Werner Zeumer Senior master of the Southwest Furriers' Guild and long-standing
board member of the Central Association of the German Furriers' Trade as well as
one of the vice presidents of the Rhine-Neckar Chamber of Industry and Commerce,
as well as a commercial judge and employee in the economic development committee
of the city of Mannheim.

Source (google translation):
M. S.: Zweihundert Jahre Zeumer. In: Die Pelzwirtschaft Nr. 1, 14. Februar 1987,
C. B. Verlag Carl Boldt, Berlin, S. 48 (Bild). --- Pelz-International Januar 1987,
Rhenania Fachverlag Hamburg, S. 26-27, 34 (Ohne Autorenangabe: 200 Jahre Zeumer)
(Firmengeschichte) / Collection G. & C. Franke

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Randall Mastin

New in Town
Messages
10
Can anyone tell me anything about this hat?!
 

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Messages
18,286
Location
Maryland
Can anyone tell me anything about this hat?!
It's a Tonak using the Hückel trademark for I believe the Venezuelan market. I haven't seen the "Pluto" mark before. Also possibly the "Victoria" trademark. I have come across these Venezuelan market Tonak hats before but I can't remember if I saw a "Victoria" . It's a Velour possibly a Soleil with an interesting color. It has Trachten elements. The Liner doesn't appear to mention Hückel. The size is 59 cm. It's possibly mid 1950s. Does it belong to you?
 
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Randall Mastin

New in Town
Messages
10
Yes, I bought it at an online Goodwill from South Florida. From what I can see and guess, Victoria is the hat retailer, and the hat was made by Tonak stamped Huckel, for the Victoria shop. The sweat band says Huckel, but the crown says Victoria extra and five stars. So, I assume it was a premium line of theirs. That is pure conjecture, but other hats and ties and sport coats are made by companies for the menswear stores in the same way, so it makes sense to me. I am not sure of the age. I am also not entirely sure how it would have looked. Would the brim have been a snap type of brim to look like a fedora, or would it have been more straight out more like a Panama type? How do you stiffen a crown with this type of material? Steam was completely ineffective, I am afraid to put hat stiffener on it and ruin the material.
 
Messages
18,286
Location
Maryland
Yes, I bought it at an online Goodwill from South Florida. From what I can see and guess, Victoria is the hat retailer, and the hat was made by Tonak stamped Huckel, for the Victoria shop. The sweat band says Huckel, but the crown says Victoria extra and five stars. So, I assume it was a premium line of theirs. That is pure conjecture, but other hats and ties and sport coats are made by companies for the menswear stores in the same way, so it makes sense to me. I am not sure of the age. I am also not entirely sure how it would have looked. Would the brim have been a snap type of brim to look like a fedora, or would it have been more straight out more like a Panama type? How do you stiffen a crown with this type of material? Steam was completely ineffective, I am afraid to put hat stiffener on it and ruin the material.
It's definitely post WWII because all Czechoslovakian Hat Companies were nationalized as TONAK. Hückel was TONAK Factory 01 and is the TONAK factory today. Based on the Paper Label type it's an earlier one so possibly mid 1950s.

I actually had one of these Venezuelan market TONAK hats (gave it to a friend). "Victoria" is associated with a Importer or Store. I didn't take a close up photo (see URL below).


I blew up the photo but the address is not clear. I don't have any information on "Sombreros Victoria". If you can read the address you might be able find out more about them.

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Messages
18,286
Location
Maryland
That was a very helpful visual. Would my hat have been blocked like this? These hats have a lot in common.
The hat I posted is later and machine blocked . Your hat is older and of higher quality. Yours came Open Crown so can be shaped however way you want. It's more of a Trachten style Velour. You can look through my website. My focus is not so much on TONAK. I am focused on 1930s and older Johann Hückel´s Söhne (became TONAK Factory 01 after WWII) and post WWII Hückel Hutfabrik Weilheim, West Germany. I collect mostly vintage / antique German and Austrian Soft and Stiff Felt Hats. See my website below.
 
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