The Bikeriders

Photographer and filmmaker Danny Lyon inherited the spirit of rebellion and resistance from his mother, who regaled him with heroic tales of her brothers’ fearless crusade against the Tsar in the Russian and Bolshevik Revolutions of the early 20th century. As a young boy growing up in Queens, New York, Lyon would lie in bed at night and dream of seeing the world – never knowing his destiny was inextricably bound to history, art, and film.

The Bikeriders chronicled the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club between 1963 and 1987, a Hells Angels-style biker gang that Lyon joined in 1966. In his hands the photography book took on diarist qualities, the hand of the artist making itself felt as would a poet, painter, or composer.

Now 82, Lyon charts his extraordinary journey in the new book, This is My Life I’m Talking About, a picaresque memoir that reveals his natural gifts for storytelling.

16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham

One black beret among the mourners of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham.

On September 15, 1963, two and a half weeks after Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a dynamite bomb set by members of the Ku Klux Klan erupted, just as twenty six children walked into the basement assembly room of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Four girls, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, were killed, and 22 others were injured. 

Photographs of the bombing’s aftermath–including the iconic image of blinded Sarah Jean Collins in her hospital bed–shocked the nation and helped give an emotional push for the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

Berets Rock!

 

Zoltan Kluger

Zoltan (Zvi) Kluger (1896 –1977) was an Austro-Hungarian born Israeli photographer. He is known as one of the most important photographers in Mandatory Palestine.

During World War I he served as an airborne photographer in the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops. At the end of the 1920s he emigrated to Berlin, where he worked as a press photographer.

In April 1933, with the rise of the Nazis to power, he arrived in Palestine as a tourist, and then received a British certificate to stay.

Kluger's prominent clients were the JNF and Keren Hayesod photography department, which sent Kluger to photograph economic enterprises and immigrants.

Zoltan Kluger died in Manhattan, New York in 1977. At his departure from Israel, he left behind a total of some 50,000 negatives.

Steffen Diemer

Steffen Diemer (1966) is a German photographer whose work appeared in internationally renowned magazines such as Der Spiegel, National Geographic and The Guardian.

Until 2013, Diemer worked full-time on social documentary reportages in war zones and areas of crisis.

Suffering from the mentally exhausting work, Diemer entered a period of reflection in 2011.

During this time, he became an enthusiast of the wet collodion procedure; a fascination that lasts until today.

It's Not A Hat, It's A Beret

 It's Not A Hat, It's A Beret

Lovers and Lollipops

Lovers and Lollipops is a 1956 film directed and written by Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin. The film was photographed on location in and around New York City and tells the story of the romance of a widowed fashion model and an engineer, and how their relationship is affected by her daughter.

The film was the second of three feature films directed and written by Engel and Orkin, who were best known for the 1953 film Little Fugitive. Like that film and Weddings and Babies (1960), Lovers and Lollipops was a low-budget film shot in a naturalistic style uncommon during this era.

The character of Peggy was notable for its realism, showing her as bratty and self-centered, in contrast to the idealized portraits of children typical of 1950s films and TV. The film gained authenticity from its use of authentic New York City locations and a realistically meandering plotline, which made the film resemble real life more than polished movie acting.

Both Little Fugitive and Lovers and Lollipops were influential independent movies in that era, and influenced the French New Wave film movement and John Cassavetes.

Benjamin Bayart

Benjamin Bayard (1973) is an activist for fundamental freedoms in the information society and a French engineer. For fifteen years he was president of French Data Network, the oldest Internet service provider (ISP) still operating in France .

A campaigner for fundamental freedoms in the information society through net neutrality and free software, his positions have made him a noted personality on the French Internet.

Why are so many People Wearing Red Berets on the Hikoi?

Following yesterday's post on Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke: why are so many wearing (red) berets on the Hikoi? 

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke

A hīkoi is a walk or march, and especially a protest march, in New Zealand. The word comes from the Te Reo Māori language, and often implies a long journey taking many days or weeks.

This month, a hīkoi opposing the Treaty Principles Bill occurred. An estimated 42,000 people took part in the hīkoi, taking nine days to reach the parliament grounds of Wellington, with some groups beginning in the Far North and Bluff (in the far South). The Māori Queen Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō joined the protests in Wellington. Coinciding with the march was an online petition opposing the bill that received over 200,000 signatures.

Northland teenager Chelsea Reti marched with the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti from the beginning and before reaching Wellington, her mum decided it was the right time to send down a red beret.

"When we choose to put something on our head where we know it is going to be seen there is a significance behind it and there was significance behind why I wore a red beret," she said.

Chelsea Reti 

Countless other mostly young wāhine (women) donned a red beret for the march. It's a pōtae (hat) steeped in history and symbolism for the Māori rights movement and other freedom movements overseas stretching back decades.

Chelsea says her mum remembered berets worn by Māori activists in the past. She also took inspiration from 22-year-old Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, who often wears berets on significant occasions. Maipi-Clarke's great-aunt Hana Te Hemara wore a beret when she brought a te reo Māori language petition to Parliament in 1972.

Dr Bobby Luke Campbell, a senior fashion lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, said the Polynesian Panthers popularised the beret as a freedom symbol in New Zealand in the mid-1970s, spurred by protests against the Dawn Raids. While hats are a Western symbol, they have been widely adopted and reimagined as a symbol for Māori.

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke

This post is about a personal heroin of mine: Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke (2002) is a New Zealand politician, representing Te Pāti Māori as a Member of Parliament since the 2023 New Zealand general election. She is the youngest MP since James Stuart-Wortley, who was elected in the 1853 election aged 20 years and 7 months.

Maipi-Clarke has ancestry in Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Awa, and Ngāi Tahu. The broadcaster Potaka Maipi is her father. She is the grand-niece of Māori language activist Hana Te Hemara. Taitimu Maipi, whose activism contributed to the removal of the Captain Hamilton statue in 2020, is her grandfather. Wi Katene, the first Māori MP to be appointed to the Executive Council, was her great-great-great-great-grandfather.

During her maiden speech in December 2023, Maipi-Clarke criticised the National-led coalition government, claiming that it had "attacked my whole world from every corner". She identified health, the environment, water, land, natural resources and children as key areas of disagreement with the government:

Two weeks ago, New Zealand's parliament was halted after the controversial bill that proposes to radically alter the way the country’s treaty between Māori and the Crown is interpreted was tabled. Hana-Rawhiti was suspended from the Chamber for 24 hours:

Titouan

 "I started wearing a beret three years ago for fun, and then it became a habit. In winter, I put it on every time I step outside. This one’s from Anatomica (Boinas Elósegui). If I lose it at a party, I rush off to get another one. This is the fourth one I’ve bought from them. The undershirt belonged to my father, a Navy man. He wore them with his uniform for many years and had a whole pile of them in his closet, so I swiped one. An old Rubinacci suit in fresco, a lightweight wool, which means I can wear it in winter and summer. When it’s buttoned up, it has quite a strict, military look, which I like a lot. And when I wear it undone, it’s more voluminous and almost looks trendy. I never wear a shirt with it; I prefer a T-shirt or tank top underneath. The revisited Weston 180s with a triple sole. I reckon it gives them a bit of a punk feel. I put a coin into the slit on the left shoe, as the Americans do. I’ve always done that with my loafers. A hoop earring, like the one worn by graphic novel character Corto Maltese. I got my ear pierced when I was 20. My best friend Gevork was given this pendant by his parents. They’re Armenians who brought it back for him from the Caucasus. It represents the Orthodox Saint George. Gevork felt it wasn’t really for him, so he gave it to me. Also by Old England, made in England. I buy loads of their stuff secondhand. I never actually buy anything new nowadays. I spend a lot of time on the Vinted site. I got this vintage Old England cashmere overcoat for €25. It’s a bit too big for me, but I like that, the fullness of it. It means I can wear layers, which is great for winter. Basic Uniqlo socks. I think their thick, homespun style goes well with these loafers. I wear only white socks with loafers; anything else is out of the question."

“I grew up in Lorient, in Brittany, where dressing is very simple: all the young people wear jeans and trainers. I wore a trench coat when I was 14 and was probably the only one dressed like that. As I got older, I started to really get into suits and tailored pieces. I like to dress smart, but never in a really formal style. Basically, I wear my suits the way David Bowie did, or at least I try to. Nobody can really dress like Bowie…”

Neil Graham

Born in Pangnirtung, Nunavut in 1959, the son of an Anglican missionary and an outpost nurse, Neil spent his childhood in Arctic Canada amongst the Inuit (Pangnirtung, Nunavut and Inukjuak, Nunavik). 

He attended the University of Guelph then worked as a carpenter, truck driver, shipper-receiver and tractor mechanic.

Self-taught artist, his artwork narrative, Neil Graham addresses the contemporary world with bold visual energy. He manipulates landscapes, figures, colours and space to create layers of perception and comprehension. Diagnosed with Schizo – affective disorder, Neil imbues his art with a unique perspective. In a period that glorifies the product, he celebrates the journey. 

Nazi Victim Commemoration

Nazi victims and resistance fighters from France and Germany against the Nazi regime commemorated together the murdered of the Nazi regime on Good Friday 1945, Germany.

28 March, 1975 in Dortmund, Germany. Photos by Klaus Rose.

Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanović (1922 –2010) was a Serbian and Yugoslav architect, urbanist and essayist. He taught architecture at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture, where he also served as dean. Bogdanović wrote numerous articles about urbanism, especially about its mythic and symbolic aspects.

He was also involved in politics, as a Yugoslav Partisan in World War II, later as mayor of Belgrade. When Slobodan Milošević rose to power and nationalism gained ground in Yugoslavia, Bogdanović became a dissident.

Bogdanović is best known for designing monuments and memorials commemorating victims and resistance fighters of World War II built all over Yugoslavia from the early 1950s to the 1980s. In particular, the monumental concrete sculpture titled Stone Flower near the site of Jasenovac concentration camp gained international attention.

Therese Malvar

Therese Martin Alcala Malvar (2000) is a Filipino actress.

Malvar is the third great-granddaughter of two Philippine heroes, General Miguel Malvar and Dr. José Rizal. She is the daughter of stage and independent film actress Cherry Malvar.

In June, 2024, Malvar graduated Bachelor of Arts in Film and Video, magna cum laude and as Salutatorian from MINT College.

She won awards for her performances in the films Ang Huling Cha-cha ni Anita and Hamog.

Croatian Fascist Berets

Googling 'beret' in Croatia comes with many results of HOS berets, for sale at web shops. 

The Hrvatske obrambene snage or HOS (Croatian Defence Forces) were the paramilitary arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) from 1991 to 1992, during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars.

The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) is an extra-parliamentary nationalist and neo-fascist political party in Croatia. The word "right(s)" in the party's name refers to the legal and moral reasons that justify the independence and autonomy of Croatia. While the HSP has retained its old name, today it is a far-right party with an ethnocentric platform.

Despite everything that happened during the 1990’s, it appears many (young) Croatians are happy to don these symbols…

X-Mas Discounts Now

We're moving closer to the end of the year, which means some good deals on berets that make great X-mas gifts!

 

Making Christmas shopping easier, many berets have been temporarily reduced in price! The whole range of Czech Classics and Classic Super Luxury, for example.  In the series of Limited Editions,: there are a small number of Spanish Paso Dobles left on Sale.

Looking for a perfect and exclusive gift? What better than  a Billy Childish models - both the Fear Naught and Goat in a Tree model are temporarily reduced in price!

This Christmas, a massive reduction on Baskenmütze, a Franco-German cooperation that resulted in some very fine and affordable berets! All @ $34.50!

Australian Otto&Spike Basque berets and Tam o Shanters - excellent winter gear and for a few weeks, well reduced in price for Christmas 2024!