More on the Chasseurs Alpin at the White House

I found a video fragment that clearly belongs to a post I published 3 years ago on the Blue Devils, or Chasseurs Alpin, during their WW I visit to Washington DC. 

In efforts to help Uncle Sam sell war bonds, veteran Blue Devils crossed the Atlantic. Vast crowds cheered as the French Soldiers paraded through New York, Chicago, and the White House. The major newspapers recounted their war stories bullet by bullet. 

Beret-Label Art

Discussing berets and their labels the other day with a friend, we concluded that the really nice beret labels are a thing of the past. The romantic pictures of pipe-smoking gentleman walking in the rain, beautiful ladies, labels fitted on exquisite multicoloured silk lining...
Here are a few samples of some of the nicest in my collection:

Liberation Berets

Yesterday's post showed the brown (Basque) berets worn by the fortification troops on the Maginot Line.

Immediately after the war, some of these berets were modified into 'Liberation Berets', fitted with their own embroidered label. The top picture shows how the "Boche" is kicked out of France.

Expensive collectors items, these days. 

The Brown Basque Beret of the Maginot Line

The Maginot Line was a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons installations that France constructed just before the border with Switzerland and the borders with Germany and Luxembourg during the 1930s. 

The Line did not extend through to the English Channel because the French military did not want to compromise Belgium's neutrality. The line was a response to France's experience in World War I and was constructed during the run-up to World War II.

French military experts extolled the Maginot Line as a work of genius, believing it would prevent any further invasions from the east.

While the fortification system did prevent a direct attack, it was strategically ineffective, as the Germans invaded through Belgium, going around the Maginot Line. The German army came through the Ardennes forest and the Low Countries, completely sweeping by the line, causing the French army to surrender and conquering France in about six weeks.

The Maginot Line was impervious to most forms of attack (including aerial bombings and tank fire), and had state-of-the-art living conditions for garrisoned troops, air conditioning, comfortable eating areas and underground railways. However, it proved costly to maintain and subsequently led to parts of the French Armed Forces being underfunded and not provided with the troops, equipment and communications needed for the war.

More interesting for boineros and beret aficionados is that the beret worn by the Maginot troops was typically a Basque beret (with the cabiliou in place) in the brown of the  Fortification Troops.

Annabella in "Wings of the Morning'

Wings of the Morning is a 1937 British drama film directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring Annabella, Henry Fonda, and Leslie Banks. It was the first ever three-strip technicolor movie shot in England or Europe.

Popular Irish tenor Count John McCormack appeared in the film singing "Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms" and "Killarney". The picture was French actress Annabella's first English language film. Maria, played by Annabelle, is dressed as a boy (with black beret) to escape the hostilities of the Spanish war, and becomes involved with Kerry (played by a young Henry Fonda). Kerry doesn't realise it's a girl, of course, until later when she reveals herself, when it's love at first sight.

The story, set in the late 1880s, concerns the tempestuous love between an Irish nobleman and the fiery Spanish gypsy he loves.

Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (1945), is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.  Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time.

Lesser known are Clapton’s  (vague) views on politics. Clapton is a supporter of the Countryside Alliance, has played in concerts to raise funds for the organisation and publicly opposed the Labour Party’s ban on fox hunting with the 2004 Hunting Act. A spokesperson for Clapton said, "Eric supports the Countryside Alliance. He doesn't hunt himself, but does enjoy rural pursuits such as fishing and shooting. He supports the Alliance's pursuit to scrap the ban on the basis that he doesn't agree with the state's interference with people's private pursuits".

Clapton with Carlos Santana

On 5 August 1976, Clapton provoked an uproar and lingering controversy when he spoke out against increasing immigration during a concert in Birmingham. Visibly intoxicated, Clapton voiced his support of controversial political candidate Enoch Powell, and announced on stage that Britain was in danger of becoming a "black colony". 

Clapton was quoted as saying, "I think Enoch's right ... we should send them all back. Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white!" The latter phrase was at the time a British National Front slogan.

Miss Betty Carstairs and her powerboat 'Estelle'

Various shots of Miss Betty Carstairs and a mechanic sitting in her powerboat 'Estelle' with which Miss Betty Carstairs hopes to win World's record from America.". 

Miss Carstairs wears a beret and smokes a cigarette. 

The Gascon or Noir de Bigorre

As a practically life-long vegetarian, I find it hard to comprehend how anyone can kill and eat a beautiful animal such as the Gascon or Noir de Bigorre.

The Gascon is a rare breed of domestic pig which has survived in the more mountainous and remote regions of France. In the Midi-Pyrénées region, the Gascon survives as probably the most ancient breed of pig in France.

Despite its endangered status, it has many valuable characteristics. Like most old-fashioned breeds, it is prone to becoming very fat, but it is vigorous, hardy, thrifty and tolerant of hot climates. 

The sows are prolific and have a good supply of milk for their litters.

Greetings Card Artist with Beret

This is a greetings card studio in Islington. The model is Vanda Hudson. London Zoo have allowed the artists to borrow live animals to use as models. 

Description: L/S of Vanda in the studio. A man walks into shot - a quintessential artist, he wears a beret, an artist's smock and smokes a pipe. He walks over to Vanda and pulls her skirt up even shorter. The artist is King Gridley. Designer Davy Kaye is also mentioned. Over the shoulder shot of King at work. C/U of Vanda - she looks unreal, like a waxwork or someone in a Pierre et Gilles photograph. Camera pans for a better shot of the Tropical Macaw on Vanda's arm. L/S of King at work - pipe in mouth.

The All New Czech Tartan Lined Service Stars!

These 292mm diameter berets once wear staple headwear in the Czech republic (and previously Czechoslovakia), but are now only available on custom order.

And that's what I did: a range of Service Stars in black and a light navy, fitted with the traditional viscose tartan lining - you won't find these berets anywhere else!

Great fitting berets, super comfortable and wearable either in military style (with the leather headband outwards) or Basque style (with the headband folded inwards).

These berets are made of the softest felted wool, fitted with a drawstring and three air vents on the side.

An incredible pleasure to wear - guaranteed!

RED!

Interesting how colours work, what meaning we give to colour and how we embrace or reject certain colours. Yesterday's post showed some bold yellow berets; today a look at another bold colour (for men, at least): RED.

Of course, I am not talking about the bright red berets of the Spanish Carlistas, the ultra-conservative, ultra-catholic nationalists who made the boina roja their trademark. 

Here we have a look at some strong individuals, braving the looks and comments of bourgeois bystanders and stoically wearing a red beret. 

Surveys show that red is the color most associated with courage. In western countries red is a symbol of martyrs and sacrifice, particularly because of its association with blood.[30] Beginning in the Middle Ages, the Pope and Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church wore red to symbolize the blood of Christ and the Christian martyrs. The banner of the Christian soldiers in the First Crusade was a red cross on a white field, the St. George's Cross.

In 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots, accused of treason against Queen Elizabeth I, wore a red shirt at her execution, to proclaim that she was an innocent martyr.

In the 19th century novel The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, a story about the American Civil War, the red badge was the blood from a wound, by which a soldier could prove his courage.

Red is also the color most commonly associated with love, with joy and well being. It is the color of celebration and ceremony. A red carpet is often used to welcome distinguished guests. Red is also the traditional color of seats in opera houses and theaters. Scarlet academic gowns are worn by new Doctors of Philosophy at degree ceremonies at Oxford University and other schools. In China, it is considered the color of good fortune and prosperity.

Yellow Beret

No, definitely not your average middle-of-the-road headgear, these bright yellow berets. 

Although these have been popular with women, men tended to shy away from this colour - a pity really, as the pictures here testify.

For Finnish designer and architect Yrjo Kukkapuro, it has become a bit of a trademark, but personally, I would encourage many more men to go yellow. Make a statement, look good!

I have a small number in stock: the Elósegui Exposición Hombres.
And of course, not only for men...

His Honour Gives Up Beret For Charity

1931, by British Pathé

The title reads: "His Honour Gives Up Beret For Charity. Mayor Walker parts with his unique headgear, giving it to Mrs Clark of women's committee for hospital campaign."

A woman, probably Mrs Clark, gives the keys to the Women's Committee thrift shop to New York Mayor, James 'Gentleman Jimmy' Walker. The thrift shop raises money for cancer hospitals.
Mayor Walker offers one of his famous berets for sale in the shop. He is asked to try it on so that everyone can see. 

Hiking & Tramping

No doubt, berets are among the best hats one can wear when hiking or tramping, and have been for a long time.

For women, wool berets began to be worn with outdoor gear in the late 1920's. The casual beret was worn pulled well down on the head, nearly covering all the hair and definitely keeping the ears warm. Berets are shown in 1930's catalogs as well as in many  photos of women hiking and camping. 

Scouts of course are a perfect example of the combination Outdoors - Beret. Like this French troop pictured above.

And James Walker Tucker painted these women hikers, peering over their map, all wearing a beret. 

Ural Cobra & Red Beret

Two years ago, I first published a post on the legendary Russian Ural motorbikes. At the time, I wasn't aware of the 'Ural Cobra'. 

The Cobra is the Russian answer to American choppers; a limited-series motorcycle in bright yellow painting, the Cobra logo on the tank and "hard-tail" suspension.