Maximilian Feuerring

Maximilian Feuerring (1896–1985) was a Polish-Australian painter, art critic, and professor known for his experimental and expressionistic art, who survived a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II before emigrating to Australia.

Maximilian Feuerring (R)

Born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Lwow, Poland, Feuerring studied art in Berlin, Florence, Rome, Paris, and Warsaw. He taught at the Jewish Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw from 1934 to 1939.

He served as an officer in the Polish army during World War II and was interned in a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in Murnau, Germany. During his imprisonment, where he experienced starvation and hardship, he gave art classes to fellow officers using materials sent by the Red Cross. Fifty-two members of his family perished in concentration camps.

After the war, he was appointed a professor at the UNRRA University in Munich and organized exhibitions for displaced artists. In 1950, at the age of 54, he migrated to Sydney, Australia.

In Australia, Feuerring supported himself as a stage designer, restorer, and teacher, though the initial response to his work was indifferent. He became a prolific artist, known for paintings that explored "problems and conflicts of spiritual or emotional origin". He was friends with other émigré artists like Judy Cassab and Louis Kahan and was a member of the Antipodean group of artists in the 1960s. He twice represented Australia at the São Paulo Biennial. 

Tabard & Beret

The tabard (el tabard) appeared from around 1940. It was a kind of jacket, three-quarters longer than the fur coat and usually made in shades of gray, brown, or greenish, woven in a herringbone pattern. It could have fur on the lapels and was fastened with a double-breasted closure and a belt.

 It usually had four outer pockets, two at hip level and two on the chest. The latter were used to keep the hands warm, as gloves were not part of men's clothing. 

Belts (El Cinto)

More on clothing and it's evolution in Spain: belts (el cinto).

Belts began to be a common accessory in men's clothing when the rolled-up sashes, which previously served the same purpose, stopped being used.

Trousers could also be held up with a simple esparto rope tied with a knot or bow.

Since the trousers were much higher than the man's waist and, moreover, it was not common for them to have belt loops, they were fastened to the body only by means of the buckle (in Alcozar it was called herbilla) of the belt.

In times when the motto "spare the rod and spoil the child" prevailed, the boys had no alternative but to flee quickly and escape when their father threatened to take out his belt.

A Celebratory Special

It’s not often the morning news calls for a proper celebration — but today does. After 16 years, Viktor Orbán is out in Hungary — a moment that will echo far beyond its borders. Not exactly the outcome hoped for by Mr Trump and Putin, but a clear win for democracy, human rights, the EU, and — importantly — Ukraine. If ever there was a reason to tip a beret, this is it.

I’d have loved to celebrate with Hungarian-made berets, but the Serbian-made Grof berets are a very достойная stand-in — and more than worthy of the occasion.

So let’s mark the moment properly: for a very limited time, 50% off all Universel, De Luxe, and De Luxe Ardennais models.

A small nod to big changes — and a fine excuse to top things off in style.

Capes & Tartes Alpin

The Chasseurs Alpins too, used a hooded cape as a traditional outer garment. This was introduced around the 1930s (c. 1935) in a khaki cloth version, intended as a practical overgarment for use over other layers when in the mountains or on walking-out duties. It was similar in function to other military rain/outer cloaks but tailored for alpine service.

During the 1939–40 campaign, Chasseurs Alpins increasingly relied on a layered system of clothing for mountain warfare. Traditional garments such as the navy hooded cape continued to be worn over modern layers for warmth and weather protection when moving in severe mountain conditions.

In uniform displays (e.g., in military museums), Chasseurs Alpins officer uniforms typically include a hooded cape as part of the ensemble along with the distinctive tarte beret and other mountain gear — this underscores the cape’s association with mountain troop dress even if it later fell out of widespread service.

Capes & Berets

Another garment once frequently paired with the beret—but now largely vanished from everyday dress—is the cape. 

Evolving from the simple blanket worn around the shoulders, it served as protection against cold and rain and doubled as a cover for sleeping outdoors.

The cape is a sleeveless outer garment, short or long, draped loosely and fastened at the neck or shoulders, covering the back, shoulders, and arms.

While its earliest origins are unclear, early references appear in Ancient Roman military attire. In medieval Europe, the cape—often worn with a hood—became commonplace.

For centuries, it was also a standard garment among shepherds on both sides of the Pyrenees, valued for its practicality, protection from the elements and quiet durability.

Kapusai

A kapusai (also spelled kapusail) is a traditional hooded woollen cloak or raincoat originating from the Basque Country. It was historically used by Basque shepherds and labourers to protect against rain and cold.

Shepherd from Hiriberri in 1924, wearing a kapusai over his beret

The garment typically covers both the body and head simultaneously, functioning as a heavy poncho or hooded cape. It is sometimes compared to a capisayo or anguarina in Spanish.

A photo of 1913, of a shepherd wearing a beret, or boina, under the hood of his anguarina:

Balaclava & Beret

Basque shepherds have always been creative and inventive in their struggle against the cold in the mountains. Shepherds in the Atxondo Valley (Anboto Mountains) used to wear blankets that also covered their heads; nowadays they wear scarves.

Meanwhile, the shepherds from Aoiz, Larraun, Lezaun, Sangüesa, San Martín de Unx (Northern Spain), and also Moreda (Alicante) used balaclavas made of cloth or wool "to prevent chilblains on their ears," as one shepherd from Álava explained.

Francisco Guerra Marcos "CUCKOO"

Francisco Guerra Marcos was a shepherd. He was born into a humble family on October 20, 1902, in Monte de Matilla.

From a young age, and as was normal at that time, he received a nickname, "Cuckoo".

He married and had three daughters. A few years later, he had the misfortune of becoming a widow, but he managed to raise his daughters by working as a shepherd, a job that was very demanding and poorly paid at the time. He continued this work almost until the end of his life. Cuckoo died 0n 21 November, 1996.

Jean Andreau

Jean Edouard Andreau (1890 – 1953) was a French engineer specializing in aerodynamics.

In 1924, he made a variable stroke engine: The Andreau Engine. This engine successfully passed all the tests at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts. It is also likely that it still holds the world record for lowest consumption with 165 gr CV hour. This engine was built at Engrenages Citroën in several hundred copies.

He also produced a three-wheeled car with the 11 hp Citroën front-wheel drive engine. Maximum speed 160 km/h and at normal cruising speeds: 6 l per 100 km. 

Bulgaria

Berets from Bulgaria

From Sitka, Alaska

 An Ebay-find: an old beret with memorabilia of Reladasa Tours and the Sitka (Alaska) Visitors Bureau.

The tour company didn't survive the beret, a quick Google search taught me. 

Antonio Santos

Born in Huesca in 1955, illustrator, writer, sculptor, and painter Antonio Santos  studied Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona. His work has been recognized with prestigious awards, such as the 2018 Spanish Ministry of Culture Award for Best Published Book for 'Cuentos de la Selva' (Tales of the Jungle), the Daniel Gil Award for Best Children's Book for 'Y con la cebra que pasó' (And the Zebra That Passed By), and the second National Illustration Prize in 2004. He has held more than sixty solo exhibitions.

According to Santos, illustrating a text is "telling a story with images" and fulfills an "essentially narrative" role. But when the illustration, as is often the case, is related to a text, the illustrator's craft "must be subordinate to the accompanying text." Therefore, among his works, those dedicated to illustrating children's stories stand out, in which the images replace the words in the task of narrating.

This image is a poster for "La lluvia amarilla" (The Yellow Rain), a renowned literary work by Julio Llamazares. The image features a striking black and white illustration of a figure sitting alone, which reflects the novel's themes of solitude and abandonment in rural Spain. The work has been adapted into various artistic disciplines, including theatre and film.

 

Béret de l'infanterie de forteresse - 1939

During the Interbellum, many French officers chose to buy their own (Basque) beret, instead of wearing the government issued beret worn by the troops.

It not only explains the cabillou on many military berets of the era, but also the  luxurious lining, leather headband and the same label as seen in Basque berets in the country.

This is a PeBeO, made by Blancq-Olibet in Nay, worn by an officer of the Fortress Regiment at the Maginot Line. 

Météo à la carte - France Télévision 2

Following yesterday's post on Manufacture de Berets in Orthez, this video  by Météo à la carte - France Télévision shows the workings of Laulhere in Oloron Sainte Marie, France's oldest beret manufacturer still in operation.

The video is interesting, the voice-over in English leaves a lot to be desired...

Météo à la carte - France Télévision 1

An interesting 6 minute video on the history and work of Manufacture de Berets in Orthez. 

The English spoken voice-over is terrible, but it does helps to understand the various processes and information given.  

An Empirical Study of Basque Berets vs MAGA Caps

A new transatlantic study has revealed a striking cognitive divide between Basque beret wearers and Americans in MAGA ballcaps. 

Beret users scored highest in abstract reasoning, literature recall, and the ability to detect irony. Ballcap wearers, meanwhile, excelled in shouting across parking lots and mistaking opinion for research. 

Scientists hypothesize that the beret’s breathable wool stimulates critical thought, whereas the MAGA cap’s synthetic Chinese made fibers trap both heat and ideology. 

The research team stresses these findings are “purely observational”—though none could ignore that one group debates Camus, while the other still argues about climate change.