Anne Frank

The beret is likely one of the very few subjects that hasn't been written about regarding Anne Frank; the poor girl's short life has been so much studied, spelled-out and analysed - what would she have thought of that?

And here I add my little bit as well, with this 1937 passport photograph.

Father, Otto Frank, took to wearing a beret as well, after the war. Pictured here on a Getty's© photograph with his second wife Fritzi at the Anne Frank Memorial Forest in Israel, circa 1965. 

And here in an Amsterdam street, again together with his wife Fritzi and Victor Kugler, who helped Anne Frank and her family hide from the Germans during the occupation of the Netherlands.

Pictured here sisters Ruth, Eva and Mirjam Wiener, playmates of Anne, in Amsterdam in 1940.

Female employment and social policy in 19th century Spain

production of berets in Tolosa (Gipuzkoa), in the late nineteenth century

The above picture I found in this interesting article on employment conditions for women in 19th Century Spain, at the Euskonews web site. Lots of interesting photographs, but unfortunately Google doesn't do instant translations from the Basque language...

New Espinosa's Algodon

The new cotton Boinas Espinosa have arrived, berets in the same quality as the Tolosa Tupida Algodon (cotton), but in a 28cm/11" diameter and without satin lining; smaller, lighter and cooler than it's big brother.

Black, Navy, Green, Grey, Maroon and Cream coloured.

Available from South Pacific Cowboy @ $35.00 (plus postage).

Espinosa Algodon

Black Navy Green Grey Maroon Cream

Russian Textbook Berets

Re-organizing my bookshelves, I came upon this old Russian textbook that I once used in an attempt to better my Russian. It didn't do much good, really, but flicking the pages, I found a few interesting pictures depicting a Basque beret.
I guess in the 1950's USSR the beret was seen as a proletarian workers headgear and acceptable for school textbook use.

Interestingly, both pictures show women wearing the beret; a postie delivering a letter to a school boy and one picture of what seems to be a teacher during some celebration.

All seem very happy and peaceful with their lives.

Super Lujo Prices

It always annoys me when I read a full explanation of a price rise by retailers - the more reasoning, the more I question it's genuineness. But then, turned retailer by accident myself, I am going to do the same:

The new stock of Super Lujo's coming in by the end of this month (12.5" and 14", Black and Navy) will go up in price with $5 per beret. It is a conspiracy, really: Boinas Elosegui raising their wholesale prices, Spanish Post changing from weight based to volume based tariffs (not good, when sending berets!) and last the high NZ$ versus an all time low US$. 
But.., it is still cheaper to buy your Super Lujo from South Pacific Berets than order directly from the factory, thanks to the numbers I buy.  

To relief the bad news: I have a number of Super Lujo's in stock still (12.5" and 14", black only) and keep them at the original price till 1 December. So, if you are looking for a good deal Xmas present - go for it now!

As for the other berets by Boinas Elosegui, there are still lots of Basica's, Tupida's and Fina's in stock and prices remain as they are - whether they'll be reordered when stock runs dry, I don't know at present.

Pétanque

Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally "piglet") or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon (literally "cork") or le petit ("the small one"). 

The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass, sand or other surfaces. Similar games are bocce and bowls.The current form of the game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, in southern France. The English and French name pétanque comes from la petanca in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language, deriving from the expression pès tancats, meaning "feet together" or more exactly "feet anchored".

The casual form of the game of pétanque is played by about 17 million people in France, mostly during their summer vacations. There are about 375,000 players licensed with the Fédération Française de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FFPJP) and some 3,000 in England. 

Another 20,000 or so play in Quebec. Additionally, pétanque clubs have arisen in cities throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries in recent years.

Michael Economides (2)

When writing about Spanish Civil War veteran Michael (Miquel) Economides, I did not expect to (virtually) meet his son, who happens to live in New Zealand as well. 

Kim Economides, a wearer of txapelduns himself, sent me a video of his late father reciting a poem by Rafael Alberti in the Madrid Sports Stadium in November 1996. 
Michael died 20 days after.  
I have to confess that the Alberti's poem (in Spanish) is too much for my minor knowledge of Spanish, but I loved the poetry in the words of Michael Economides. 

Enjoy and remember.

Superman goes French

French kid's poetry from a fellow Dutch Kiwi:

Superman goes French

By Marja Blom

Last week a rumour went through town

Superman goes French they said with a frown
Oh la la, bonjour and Au revoir he said
He holds a French stick and wears a beret

He uses the stick to hit the enemy on his head

but all what happens is he breaks the bread
In the wrong direction Superman flies

Because that French beret covers his eyes

Yesterday we saw him eating some Brie

With a French lady who called him Mon Amie
But that was before he dismantled a bomb in her flat

She wanted to distroy the world with that

Superman delivered her to the police

He saved the earth said a press release

Beret thrown away, rumour deleted
French stick eaten, mission completed

http://kidscorner-marja.blogspot.com/

Mike Cressy, in his own words

A humble lad really. From deep in the bowels of Detroit I sprang. Greek roots from the old country. 2nd generation. Worked in the car factories until I saved enough to make my excape to the west (left) coast. Hunkered down in Los Angeles for a number of years learning my craft as an artist so that one day I could make a splash (more like a piddle really.) in the art world.

I met up with some well seasoned lads from the old school. Ren Wicks, Bill Robles (Bill is still among us.) , Nick Galloway, Neil Boyle and Larry Salk. All well known in their day for their creativity. They taught me all I know about the business. We were known then as Group West.
Having had that training, I made my way in the commercial art world. Then I got married, moved to Seattle and started working in the computer game industry, just because there was a lot of money to be made there and they hired artists. 
Then I got divorced.
Free as a bird I went from company to company, making my mark over and over again. With a place like Microsoft there were chances to do that over and over again. A great place if you get on with people. Even computer people. (wink)
These days I'm back at doing my own art and trying to make a go at it. Check out me new website and send me a note. www.mikecressy.com

Barbie con Boina

In my continuing quest for everything related to berets, I came upon Barbie, the impossible beauty myth sold to millions of children around the world - giving them strong messages on waist- and bustlines. 

Typically, a few of her outfits are very French with Basque beret and marinière and, of course, an artist's set. Looking a little further into the phenomenon Barbie, I came upon the lawsuit against artist Tom Forsysthe (one of many people, companies, artists targeted legally by Mattel Inc.). 

The outcome though was more than pleasing; have a read here and check out the beautiful photographs of Barbie in the food-chain (in sympathy with all those other parents of Barbie-loving-daughters...).

My Fine Brother and his Navy Castilla

This fine gentleman is my brother, Emile Kolthoff, wearing his beret of choice: a Castilla Algodon from the Fabrica Nacional de Sombreros in Uruguay. 

And I agree, it's the ultimate summer beret at only 95 grams - lighter (and cooler) than it's competitor, the Tolosa Tupida from Argentina - and slightly cheaper too!

 Available in navy and green, they cost $31.50

Odilon Redon

Bertrand-Jean Redon, better known as Odilon Redon (April 20, 1840 – July 6, 1916) was a French Symbolist painter, printmaker, draughtsman and pastellist.

Until he was in his fifties he worked almost exclusively in black and white, in charcoal drawings and lithographs. In these he developed a highly distinctive repertoire of weird subjects (strange amoeboid creatures, insects, and plants with human heads), influenced by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. 

He remained virtually unknown to the public until the publication of J.K. Huysmans's celebrated novel A Rebours in 1884; the book's hero, a disenchanted aristocrat who lives in a private world of perverse delights, collects Redon's drawings, and with this mentioning in the classic expression of decadence, Redon too became associated with the movement.
During the 1890s Redon turned to painting and revealed remarkable powers as a colorist that had lain dormant. Much of his early life had been unhappy, but after undergoing a religious crisis in the early 1890s and a serious illness in 1894-95, he was transformed into a much more buoyant and cheerful personality, expressing himself in radiant colors in mythological scenes and flower paintings.

He showed equal facility in oils and pastel. The flower pieces, in particular, were much admired by Matisse, and the Surrealists regarded Redon as one of their precursors. He was a distinguished figure by the end of his life, although still a very private person.

The Maroon Beret #2

A nice maroon beret related post from:  http://www.expedschools.org/ExS2005/trip_progress.htm

Whilst we were staying with Ben and Mandy we met Ben's friend Ray and his wife Betty. Ray was blinded during the Second World War. He was part of the forces that were parachuted into Arnhem in The Netherlands to try and capture bridges over the Rhine River . Ben and Ray go for a bike ride every week on a tandem , a bicycle designed to take two people. Ben steers and Ray pedals behind as the 'stoker'. Ray, aged 84, did a parachute jump last September to commemorate the battle to capture 'The Bridge Too Far'. We were all very impressed by Ray's fitness (he swims a mile regularly) and wanted to show you a picture of someone who has maintained his health and fitness well into later life. A great example to us all.

I couldn't agree more. 

The Bike Series #8 - 1940's 'Petrol Bike'

And after the earlier post of a tandem bicycle, this beautiful picture of a man pushing his 'petrol bike', with trailer, on a dirt road near Paris in 1940. 

Photographer: Carl Mydans

The Maroon Beret

3 Generations of British maroon berets: Jalpotex from 1948, 

British Beret Industries from 1944 and Kangol from 1946

Following the posts in the Green Beret Series, let's move to a similar phenomenon: the maroon beret. Like it's green counterpart, it is a beret loaded with (military) history and cachet. Most armed forces around the world reserve the maroon coloured beret for their airborne and commando regiments, beginning with the British Parachute Regiment in 1942 during their North African campaign in WWII. 

South African Para

It was the wife of the 1st Airborne Division's commander, general Frederick Browning, who chose the colour; his wife happened to be the well-known novelist Daphne du Maurier.  

Whereas the colour green for a beret seems to be pretty much reserved for the military (except for myself, loving my green cotton Tolosa Tupida's and Castilla's in varying sizes...), the maroon beret is a very popular beret among the civilized population.

Previously on this blog there was Michael Esposito, and the maroon beret is also widely adopted by artists, writers and the South American gaucho's. 

Sarah Palin

Driving home through the night I just heard the disastrous US election results on NZ Radio. Despite all the explanations of journalists, political scientists, anthropologists, historians, Americanologists and all others coming through my speakers, I still fail to understand how so many people can be so dumb. 

Only a few years back we collectively laughed at Sarah Palin and her ambitions - who could even imagine this woman elected for president..? 
I remember the enormous sigh of relief; here, there and everywhere, after the departure of G.W., but what will happen in another 2 years? Will we be held hostage again for 4 years, or more?

Painting by Dan Lacey

Fearfully, I started searching for any material that related Ms Palin with the Basque beret. Fear not: the closest I got was Ms Palin wearing a floppy pancake.

Apologies for the bumper sticker - I couldn't resist

Oliver B. Bumble and Marten Toonder

Oliver B. Bumble (Olivier B. Bommel in Dutch language) is a fictional anthropomorphic bear and one of the two main characters, the other being Tom Puss (Tom Poes in Dutch) in an originally Dutch series of comic books bearing the name of either one main characters in their name, written by Marten Toonder.

Sir Olivier Berendinus Bommel is a gentleman of good standing, for whom money is no object and Lord of Castle Bommelstein. Sir Bumble is very class-conscious, but not unlikable. He drives a modest car, de "Oude Schicht" (the Old Flash), en dresses very modest in no more than a checkered coat. 
In 1938 Tom Puss was the leading figure in a children's-cartoon, where eventually Olli B. Bumble became the leading figure. First only appearing as a supernumerary, he developed into Oliver B. Bumle. The first Bumble-cartoon appeared in 1941 in a Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. De Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant, another Dutch newspaper, started to publish Bumle's adventures in 1947. In total there are 154 original stories published. 

On january 20th 1986 the last part of the last story, written by Marten Toonder about Oliver B. Bumble, was published. He is probably the most important cartoon-hero in Dutch literature. He's translated in at least 20 languages, was published in 21 countries and has made millions of people enjoy his adventures. Bumbe is a concept, an industry, a declaration of love. Bumle has become cult.

One other character in the Bumble comics is painter Terpen Tijn (Turpentine); a bohemian who lives for art and has no concern to bourgeois pettiness. He is sloppy dressed and wears a black beret, of course. He applies his paint with great energy onto the canvas, spreading "strong vibrations". It is said that Toonder based Terpen Tijn on Dutch painter Karel Appel. 

Yoko Ono (2)

Yoko Ono (オノ・ヨーコ Ono Yōko, kanji: 小野洋子; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese-American artist, musician, author and peace activist, also known for her marriage to John Lennon and her groundbreaking work in avant-garde art, music and film making. Ono brought feminism to the forefront through her music, and is also considered a pioneer and major influence of the 1970s new wave genre. She is a supporter of gay rights and is known for her philanthropic contributions to the arts, peace and AIDS outreach programs.

A great picture of Yoko and John, but... no beret for her.
The only photographs I managed to find of Yoko Ono with a beret are from the Dick Cavett Show:

John Lennon (2) & Yoko Ono (1)

Whereas John Lennon goes for the real Basque beret, Yoko Ono is most often pictured with a flat cap. Researching material for these posts on John & Yoko, I came upon the web site of the Anti Fascist Encyclopedia, an interesting article claiming CIA (and other US govt) involvement in Lennon's death.
I am again and again amazed how many intrigues and conspiracy theories go around on the web since I look at so many sites for my research. But then, as any writer knows, the truth is generally stranger and more unbelievable than fiction... 
Let me stick to the berets... 

John Lennon autographing (above) and in front of the Statue of Liberty (below).