Attu Island Woman and Baby 1941

This photo has more historic significance than first meets the eye. The photographer, J. Malcolm Greany, field Assistant, Alaska Game Commission, out of Juneau, was on the Patrol of the M.S. Brown Bear to the Aleutian Islands June 7th to September 13th, 1941. This was a short time before the start of the Pacific War and a few months before the Japanese invaded Attu and Kiska Islands on the west end of the Aleutian Islands.

From Attu the Japanese soldiers took 42 Native Alaskans, residents of Attu, as “prisoners of war,” and transported them to Japan where they were held as war prisoners until the end of the war in 1945. Only 22 of the civilians survived to return to their island.

The woman's name was Annie, the second wife to chief Mike Hodikoff. She and her baby were no doubt two of the 42 taken.

93e Régiment d’Artillerie de Montagne

A moment filled with emotion and pride for Lieutenant Benjamin's young recruits: after months of hard work.

The recruits were presented with the regimental colors, in front of their families and comrades. This symbolic moment marks their entry into the extended family of the 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment.

Marguerite Yourcenar

 “The older I get, the more I realize that childhood and old age are not only connected, but that they are the two most profound states in which we are allowed to live. They reveal the true essence of an individual, before or after the struggles, aspirations, and ambitions of life.”

“The eyes of the child and the eyes of the old woman look with the quiet frankness of those who have not yet entered the masquerade ball or who have already left it. And the entire interlude seems like a vain commotion, an empty agitation, a pointless chaos that makes you wonder why it had to happen.”

Dress Like a Gaucho

To dress like a gaucho is to dress in history. Each garment was born from the need and pride of belonging to the land. Every piece has its purpose. 

The beret, or boina, was inherited from Basque immigrants, to protect from the wind and sun. It became distinctive of the gaucho for its simplicity and comfort.

The pañuelo is tied around the neck, and in addition to providing warmth, it is an aesthetic symbol and a symbol of regional identity.

The chaleco, or vest, adds warmth and elegance.

The tirador, or wide belt, decorated with coins and straps and used to carry the facón, a large knife and part of gaucho identity.

The faja is a wide fabric that wraps around the waist, holds up the underwear, and gives lumbar support.  That offer free movement.

Bombachas de campo are loose, wide comfortable pants that offer free movement.

Botas de potro are rawhide boots, but in summer, often espadrilles/alpargatas were worn.

Jorge Guedes & Família

Jorge Procópio Ferreira Guedes (1964), is a singer and composer of nativist and missionary music, having collaborated with great names such as Noel Guarany, Jayme Caetano Braun and Cenair Maicá.

Considered one of the best singers in Rio Grande do Sul, Jorge Guedes has stood out as an important promoter of missionary culture, both on national and international stages.

From 2003 to 2013 he did not record, but, together with his family, he participated in major shows, such as the 40th anniversary of Che Guevara 's death in Bolivia, the Festival del Chamamé in Argentina, the Encontro Internacional de Chamameceros São Luiz Gonzaga, and the Programa do Jô in São Paulo.

Los Hermanos Cubero

Los Hermanos Cubero is the stage name of the musicians and brothers Enrique and Roberto Ruiz Cubero from Guadalajara.

With the intention of composing freely, Roberto and Enrique formed Los Hermanos Cubero, entering a competition in 2010 that awarded them the 2nd European Prize for New Folklore Creation "Agapito Marazuela." 

Their style is eminently acoustic, and although deeply rooted in traditional music, eclecticism is a constant throughout their work, characterized by respect for traditional rhythms, structures, and metrics (Seguidillas, Paloteos, Ruedas, Fandangos, Jotas, etc.) while providing a contemporary dimension to both the lyrics and the harmonies. In addition to composing original pieces, they also incorporate traditional pieces into their repertoire.

Workers

Workers in 1950s Hungary.

Fishing

Fresh water fishing in Hungary, 1961.

Marc Didden

Marc Didden (1949) is a Belgian film director. He and his family moved to Brussels when he was age 2. He grew up in Brussels and studied Film Direction and Playwriting there.

Didden was rock journalist and critic for the Flemish magazine HUMO for many years, before he started directing movies in the 1980s.

Between 1983 and 1992, he made four films based on his own screenplays: Brussels by Night, Istanbul, Sailors Don't Cry, and Men Make Plans. He also worked on other films as a screenwriter and actor. Numerous of these films won national and international awards, including at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Music Against Depopulation - Boina Fest

The Boina Fest is an annual music festival held in Arenillas, Soria, Spain. The festival is free and promotes live music as a means to combat depopulation in rural areas.

The 11th edition of the Boina Fest was held on Saturday, August 9, 2025. A documentary covering the previous 10 years of the festival was also released.

The festival featured several artists, including: Memocracia (Punk Rock from Burgos); Vosotras Veréis (Punk Pop from Soria) and La Jaula (Mestizaje from Cuenca).

Los Isleros

Los isleros is a 1951 Argentine film directed by Lucas Demare, during the classical era of Argentine cinema. It was entered into the 1951 Cannes Film Festival and won the Silver Condor Award for Best Film.

It was selected as the seventh greatest Argentine film of all time in a poll conducted by the Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken in 1984, while it ranked 11th in the 2000 edition.

Los isleros is a story about the hardships and rudimentary lives of the people who live on the islands of the Paraná River delta in the 1940s, and in particular about a couple, Rosalía, nicknamed "La Carancha" (Tita Merello) and her partner Leandro (Arturo García Buhr). Their son brings a woman (Graciela Lecube) into the house, which sparks a conflict due to the jealousy the young woman arouses in "La Carancha." The film also depicts the social drama of the Paraná River floods. 

A Heartfelt Thank You

Since my March 18 post here on The Beret Project, a great deal has happened.

The blog is no longer publicly accessible, the Facebook Berets page has closed, and while I expected a few messages from well-wishers and supporters, I was completely unprepared for the overwhelming support I received.

My sincere thanks to each and every one of you.

Many of you have also made financial contributions, which is deeply humbling. I never imagined I would find myself in a position to accept donations, but it is incredibly moving to discover how many people care. Thank you — truly.

And now, for a smaller circle of readers, it’s back to berets. Business as usual. 

And since I'm lacking social media now to announce Specials, check out this week's Special at a 33% discount here. 

Hèctor Moret

Hèctor Moret (Mequinensa, 1958) is a philologist and secondary school teacher. He is a poet, essayist, short story writer, literary critic, and researcher and historian of Catalan language and literature. He is one of the foremost experts on Aragonese literature in Catalan and has carried out an enormous amount of research and dissemination of the culture and language of the people and, in general, of all Catalan-speaking Aragon.

As a columnist, he often uses the pseudonym Esteve Betrià, and as a writer, Berenguer de Mussots. He has also published short stories and fiction under the pseudonym Marc Cornell. 

Boinas from Ezcaray

Ezcaray, in La Rioja, Spain, has historically been a major center for the production of berets and related textile products. During the 1930s, more than four million berets were manufactured annually in Ezcaray and the nearby town of Pradoluengo, according to historian Diego Ochogavía.

In 1912, the company "Viuda González Raboyoye" was registered in Ezcaray as a manufacturer of berets and baize cloths, according to commercial documents from the time.

The textile tradition of Ezcaray has its origins in medieval times, and during the 20th century, the town housed several textile and beret factories, such as the URRI SA beret and knitwear factory, which was owned by Mr. Arcadio Alesanco.

 

Update on The Beret Project

The Beret Project began in April 2009 as a publicly accessible blog. Since then, nearly 6,500 posts have been published—day after day—growing from very humble beginnings to peaks of more than 30,000 visitors per day.

Over the years, posts have explored a wide range of subjects, always connected in some way to the beret: historic manufacturing, artists who wore (or wear) berets, historical events in which berets featured, portraits of boineros and boineras around the world, factory workers who adopted the beret almost as a uniform, notable military berets, and much more. Along the way, thousands of images have been shared.

I have always made every effort to respect authors’ copyright and invited rights holders to contact me if I inadvertently published protected material. For many years, this worked in a friendly and constructive way. Copyright holders did reach out, and matters were resolved easily—sometimes by removing an image, often by adding proper credit, and occasionally by offering a beret as a gesture of goodwill.

Over the past two years, however, the landscape has changed with the rise of AI-driven enforcement. Some companies now use automated systems to scan thousands of webpages for copyrighted images and issue payment demands amounting to many thousands of dollars.

I am currently facing a court case in which nearly $7,000 is being sought for four small, low-quality images; the outcome remains uncertain. Unfortunately, this situation makes it impossible for The Beret Project to continue in its present form.

The blog can now remain accessible only to a maximum of 100 invited readers.

For those who wish to help with the legal costs, donations are sincerely appreciated. A donation link is available on the right side of this blog.

SIREP - Another Former Spanish beret Manufacturer

Francisco Romero Peris was a prominent hat and beret manufacturer based in Valencia, Spain, active primarily during the early to mid-20th century.

Established around 1915, Romero Peris operated a factory known as Fábrica de Gorras Sirep, located at Calle En Sendra 4 in Valencia. In the 1940s, the factory moved to a more central location at Calle Navellos 8, where it remained until the 1960s. 

The company specialized in producing a variety of headwear, including berets, caps, and hats, under the brand name Sirep. Their products gained popularity throughout Spain, particularly in the 1930s.

Romero Peris's products were distinguished by their quality and craftsmanship. Vintage labels from the 1930s, bearing the Gorras Sirep brand, have been preserved and are considered collectible items. These labels are typically about 7 cm in diameter and are noted for their good condition despite their age. They are found on vintage berets from the era.

Invoices from the company, dating back to 1924 and 1947, provide insight into its operations and business dealings. These documents are valuable for collectors and historians interested in the textile manufacturing industry in Spain during the 20th century.

Boinas Arrevola #2

Following yesterday's posted on Boinera Espanola Arrevola from Madrid, here some examples of "other" berets the company made: those for the Frente de Juventudes (Youth Front) of the fascist Spanish Falange. 

The Youth Front was formed in 1940 under Franco's regime, after the Spanish Civil War.

It's goal was indoctrination of the Spanish youth with the ideals of the Falange, which combined nationalism, authotarianism and traditional catholic values.