Jacot

An interior crown stamp or label bearing the name JACOT designates a product distributed by one of the most prominent hatters (chapellerie) in the French Basque Country. Jacot was not a manufacturer, but a specialized retailer operating out of Bayonne and Biarritz.

To supply its inventory, Maison Jacot contracted primary Béarnais beret manufacturers, including Laulhère (Oloron-Sainte-Marie) and Blancq-Olibet (Nay). These factories produced high-grade wool berets custom-fitted with Jacot's proprietary interior branding and crests.

Mid-to-late 20th-century berets bearing this label are distinguished by gold-leaf or silk-screened crown markings. The inscriptions typically feature the JACOT trade name alongside location markers (BAYONNE or BIARRITZ) and standard industry certifications such as Pure Laine (Pure Wool) and Garanti Imperméable (Guaranteed Waterproof).

Specific offerings, such as the 1960s Haritza model, featured acetate linings and stitched leather sweatbands. Today, Jacot-labeled berets serve as documented artifacts of Pyrenean commercial headwear distribution. 

The Secret Behind the "Boina Superior" Label

If you have ever come across a vintage Spanish beret featuring a brilliant satin lining and a bold gold star surrounding the words "Boina SUPERIOR," you might wonder who actually made it. While "Superior" sounds like a generic descriptor for high-grade wool, a closer look at the interior detailing reveals a fascinating story of Basque craftsmanship and mid-century retail history.

Despite the prominent Boina Superior branding, this was not an independent mill. The beret itself was manufactured in Tolosa, Spain, by none other than Boinas Elósegui—Spain’s oldest legendary beret maker since 1858. Look closely at the gold geometric star framing the central text: woven repeatedly around the perimeter is the name ELOSEGUI.

Elósegui frequently produced these custom-embroidered, brightly lined berets—often fitted with leather sweatbands (badana)—for major distributors. In this case, attached paper tags reveal these were customized for Germán Gómez, a prominent Spanish wholesale apparel maker (Confeccionista Mayorista). Marked with vintage prices in pesetas (such as 578 Pt) and sized in classic European metrics, these red and green satin-lined models offer a captivating glimpse into Spain’s mid-to-late 20th-century beret trade. 

Boinas Tello 1959 Production

 A 1959 Boletín Oficial del Estado industrial census provides very useful hard numbers.

It lists:

INDUSTRIAS TELLO, S.L.

Fábrica de boinas, gorros y sombreros

Offices and factory: Plaza de Lanuza 3, Zaragoza

The registered production figures were:

Product	Normal production	Capacity
Men's, women's and children's berets	192,000/year	225,000/year
Cloth military and uniform caps	200,000/year	600,000/year
Cloth hats	100,000/year	200,000/year
Felt hats	25,000/year	50,000/year
Caps	50,000/year	75,000/year
Various models	3,000/year	5,000/year

Neptuno

NEPTUNO was the name given to a distinctive waterproofed beret produced by Industrias Tello of Zaragoza, one of the Spain's substantial beret manufacturers during the 20th century.

The Tello business can be traced back to Ramón Tello Vicente, whose beret-making activities are documented as early as 1914. By the 1930s the company had its own factory in Zaragoza, and by the 1950s it had developed into a sizeable industrial manufacturer of berets.

The earliest firm evidence for the NEPTUNO name dates from 1951. A contemporary Spanish publication described Ramón Tello as the manufacturer of the “famous waterproofed beret, brand NEPTUNO”. Advertising promoted it as “Impermeabilizada – Patentada” — waterproofed and patented. Tello later described itself as the “creator of the NEPTUNO waterproofed beret.”

The precise waterproofing process remains unclear, although a contemporary account describes its manufacture as involving no fewer than 32 operations.

NEPTUNO was clearly more than a generic description: it was a proprietary Tello product, identifiable by labels bearing INDUSTRIAS TELLO – ZARAGOZA / NEPTUNO / IMPERMEABILIZADA.

Military examples survive, but NEPTUNO's significance lies in its place within Spain's largely forgotten history of industrial beret manufacture. 

Ruben Adalyan

Ruben Adalyan (1929 – 2019) was a pioneering Armenian modernist artist, widely celebrated for breaking away from Soviet socialist realism to push the boundaries of experimental art. 

Over a prolific career spanning painting, sculpture, and graphic art, he introduced a bold blend of surrealism, cubism, and expressionism to post-war Armenian culture. He was recognized with top national honours, including the titles of Honored Artist (1972) and People's Artist of Armenia (1990).

Django Reinhardt

The dog’s name is Django Reinhardt, just in case you were wondering. .
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Stepan Ganzha (1942-2024) was a Ukrainian artist, master of artistic weaving, poet. Studied at the choreographic studio of P. Virsky (1963-64). Soloist of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kyiv Military District (1964–66), the State Honored Ukrainian Folk Choir named after G. Veryovka (1966–84). Participant of regional and all-Ukrainian art exhibitions (since 1988). Member of the National Museum of Ukrainian National Music and Dramatic Arts (1991). Winner of the S. Kolos Art Prize. Laureate of the D. Shcherbakivsky Prize (2002). Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine (2004). Laureate of the K. Bilokur Prize (2005). Laureate of the National Prize named after T. Shevchenko (2010). The works are kept in the M. Hrushevsky Historical and Memorial Museum, the Hetmanate Museum, the Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore, the Directorate of Exhibitions of the National Union of Ukrainian Artists, and other museum and private collections in Ukraine and abroad.

Anton Agius

Anton Agius (1933 –2008) was a prominent Maltese sculptor, widely celebrated as Malta's "national sculptor".

Born in Rabat, he became famous for creating an extensive array of public monuments that commemorate the social, cultural, and political history of Malta.

His artistic style fluidly bridged the gap between raw avant-garde abstraction and highly communicative figurative representation.

Agius was known for his highly expressive, semi-abstract works carved from discarded trees to "rekindle their dignity," often merging human forms with natural elements.

He also created extensive collections of church interior art, postage stamps, ceramics, and mixed-media drawings.

At Washington Square Park

At Washington Square Park, New York:

Antoine Bruy - Scrublands

While city dwellers often dream of a life unplugged from the density, noise, and pressures of modern living, few are able or willing to cut ties with the convenience it affords. In his series, Scrublands, French artist Antoine Bruy draws focus on the lives of people who have chosen to leave behind the commotion of urban living in search of a more simple and self-sufficient life.

Between 2010 and 2015, Bruy travelled throughout Europe and the United States in search of those who have embraced an off-grid lifestyle, far from the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot or grocery store. Using the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) network to locate individuals and communities practicing subsistence farming and using renewable energy sources, Bruy visited people living in remote areas ranging from the Carpathian Mountains in Romania to the Rockies in Colorado. Often staying with his subjects for weeks or months at a time, he takes part in their way of life—helping with the work and responsibilities necessary to live off-grid. Using a medium format film camera, Bruy documents his encounters, offering a glimpse into a world of ingenuity, isolation, and wilderness. 

Brought together, the images in Scrublands meditate on the experiences of those who have chosen to trade a life of industrialized comfort for one of solitude and autonomy.

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; 1901 – 1961) was an iconic American actor renowned for his defining strong, silent screen persona and natural, understated acting style.

Spanning 36 years from the silent film era through the Golden Age of Hollywood, his career featured leading roles in 84 feature films, solidifying him as the ultimate representation of the ideal American hero.

The American Film Institute ranked him 11th among the 50 greatest screen legends of classical Hollywood cinema.

Béret et Compagnie

Béret et Compagnie is an artisanal, ethical négoce (wine merchant label) project located in Anjou within France's Loire Valley.

Founded by winemaker Bruno Ciofi, the project assists small-scale, natural wine producers who practice organic or biodynamic farming but lack the infrastructure or resources to bottle, market, and commercialise their own wines.

Bruno Ciofi brings deep biodynamic expertise to the label. He previously spent 13 years working alongside natural wine pioneer Jean-Pierre Frick at Domaine Pierre Frick in Alsace, followed by a transformative tenure at Domaine de la Pinte in Jura.

All vinification relies heavily on wild, native yeasts and explicitly excludes synthetic inputs or additives.

Ron Fernandez

Ron Fernandez was trained as a Cultural Anthropologist. After graduating from University of California, Santa Barbara, he did research on ethnic identity in Montreal among Portuguese and Spanish immigrants. 

He received a Ph.D. from McGill University and then taught for a few years at the University of British Columbia. Next, for a dozen years, he worked with International Plywood Corporation in California where he learned about importing and the world wood trade. Eventually, he started a company importing Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Fretted Instruments. He moved to Anacortes 10 years ago with his wife Jeanette who has since passed away. Ron plays Flamenco and Portuguese Guitar everyday and takes long walks around town.

He is a member of the Sunflower Fund - providing great support for Ukraine.

Drill Sergeant Schmidt

"Ausbilder Schmidt" (“Drill Sergeant Schmidt”) is a German comedian played by comedian Holger Müller.

He is a loud, stereotypical military drill instructor famous for shouting his catchphrase "Morgen ihr Luschen!" ("Morning, you wimps!"). His routines parody military life, strict discipline, and absurd "war stories" from his childhood and family life. He frequently incorporates the live audience into his shows as "recruits" for imaginary manoeuvres.

The character is highly popular in Germany, spanning live stand-up tours, comedy albums, and merchandising like themed clothing.

Bernard (Dov) Spolsky

Professor Bernard (Dov) Spolsky (1932–2022) was a New Zealand-born linguist and pioneer in educational linguistics, sociolinguistics, and language policy. Educated at Wellington College and Victoria University, he served as a professor at Bar-Ilan University in Israel and wrote seminal works on language management and Indigenous language revitalization.

He earned his BA and MA in New Zealand before completing a Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of Montreal in 1966.

Polsky directed early foundational studies on Navajo sociolinguistics in the United States and surveyed Indigenous languages like te reo Māori and Samoan.

Polsky served as president of both the TESOL International Association (1978–1979) and the International Association of Language Testers (ILTA).

Moustaches & Berets

 

First Day of Issue - Chasseurs Alpins

The First Day of Issue (Premier Jour) for the famous French Chasseurs Alpins centennial stamp was 25 June 1988, held in the historic alpine cradle of Grenoble (Isère). 

The stamp was beautifully brought to life by master designer and engraver Jean Delpech. What makes the visual layout so compelling is its split-era composition, capturing the evolution of the infantrymen over a 100-year span:

On the left, is a Chasseur Alpin from the year 1888, when the unit was formed. He sports the early practical mountain gear, carrying a heavy pack, a traditional rifle, and wearing the "tarte".

On the right stands his modern counterpart, equipped with late-20th-century alpine warfare gear, proving that while technology changes, the rugged spirit remains the same.

The background seamlessly ties them together with the stark, jagged peaks of the French Alps, the natural playground and battleground of these elite troops.

Alejandro Finisterre

Alejandro Finisterre (born Alexandre Campos Ramírez; 1919 –2007) was a Spanish anarchist poet, publisher, and inventor. He is most famous for inventing futbolín, the Spanish version of table football (foosball).

Born in Fisterra, Galicia, he moved to Madrid as a teenager, working various jobs—including as a tap dancer and typesetter - to fund his education. During the Spanish Civil War, his home was bombed, leaving him severely injured and buried in the rubble.

While recovering at a hospital in Catalonia, he noticed that many injured children and fellow patients could no longer play association football. Inspired by table tennis, he collaborated with a local carpenter to attach wooden players to steel bars over a pine table, patenting the design in Barcelona in 1937. He also patented a foot-pedal page-turner for musicians.

Following Franco's fascist victory, Finisterre fled Spain. He was imprisoned in Morocco before eventually building a successful publishing career in Latin America, where he even played table football with Ché Guevara in Guatemala.

Because of his ties to the Spanish Republican government-in-exile, Francoist agents kidnapped him in Guatemala following the 1954 U.S.-backed coup. Placed on a plane bound for Madrid, Finisterre executed one of the world's first recorded aircraft hijackings using only a bar of soap. He wrapped the soap in newspaper, locked himself in the toilet, and emerged threatening to blow up the aircraft. The sympathetic crew and passengers forced an emergency landing in Panama, allowing him to escape.