Film clip: 1949 Panama hats made in Equador

[Flieger]

Hi all!

When I ordered my Pachacuti from the Swedish importer I found a link to a film clip made in 1949 about Montecristo hat making. It has some interesting photage... the downside is that it's narrated in Swedish...

Anyway, HungaryTom convinced me to post the URL here on FL... apparently some of you are interested in Montecristos?

http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=31472

(Scroll down to where it says "Panamahattar" and click the orange text to start the clip)

NB: I might be persuaded to make a transcript/translation for you if the price is right.

Enjoy!
/Flieger

 

[HungaryTom]

Viva Montecristi

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

I admit there was a little pressure in the PM, but I still stand by that.

Thank you, Flieger.

 

[duggap]

Flieger, thanks for the post. I am a real lover of the Monticriste hats and enjoy seeing how they work on them. All that labor into one hats almosts makes me feel guilty just to wear it.:eusa_clap

 

[Undertow]

I also enjoyed those other videos, thanks!

 

[HungaryTom]

Montecristi Social Club

I viewed the clip at least 100x by now.

This is a real treasure: it is from the ‘Golden Era’ both of the Montecristi hat and of Montecristi town.

Apparently everything looks new and tidy - thanks to Carludovica palmata.
Montecristi did not look like that it needed ‘selfless’ help of the outside world-it had enough income from their money. Like Manaus in the Golden Age of Hevea brasiliensis.

It is sad that nowadays only a third plant gives wealth to locals - Erythroxylum coca...

The statue of Eloy Alfaro and the square around it looks brand-new and also quite clean.
I don’t think that the Swedish film crew was cleaning up - it contradicts the basic rules of documentary. It was simply kept clean.

Also: the people look proud and happy: they were producing something that was fashionable worldwide. Then -as Don Rosendo told- everyone lived of the toquilla weaving, back-weaving, pummeling, finishing etc. it was not only a secondary occupation or a ‘shame’ which must be quickly exchanged with ‘ordinary job’ like factory works.

Unfortunately the passing of time does not mean always automatically progress.
When you saw the Panama hat coffee table book, the photos from Brent Black or Daniel TV showing Montecristi the decline is apparently visible. The gap between living standards was not so huge compared to nowadays.
I think since there was much higher demand the suppliers could live a more decent life – the emigration wave from Ecuador did not started yet those days.

Montecristi hat wearing tradition can be seen.
The boss of the hat finishing workshop wears one fine toquilla, and also some of the finishers. However the baseball cap appears already and some men are ‘hatless’ in the Ecuadorian sun.

If you have seen the meticulous razing of excess straw as last step of the finishing of that superfino…it gleamed even through B/W film.

I meant that kind of hat which can fetch astronomical price range today. It is too bad that I don’t have the ‘stargate’ technology handy - to get back to there and snap one or two (dozen) Montecristi hat bodies - at 1949 local prices. Maybe I am not alone with that whish of cleaning house in 1949 Montecristi…

If anyone who has access to the old Montecristi locals could show that film to them -they would surely recognize some ‘actors’, settings, to create a good feeling for them like for the Cuban Musicians in Buena vista Social Club.

They deserve this acknowledgement.

 

[cookie]

Montecristis

You are so right Tom. Incidentally there is a continuous video shown in the window of Strand Hatters showing the manufacture of Panamas. Wonder if any of the 'stars' were shown in it?

 

[HungaryTom]

Another clip?

Dear Cookie,

Is it possible to get a URL to that other clip?
So we can compare.

 

[cookie]

Strand Hatters

It was an old fashion VCR - I think from the 90s maybe....