Your Panama Hat from the Tropical Jungles of South America to the American Hat Store

456 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN May 15, 1915

Your Panama Hat From the Tropical Jungles of South America to the American Hat Store

By A. M. Jungmann

HEN you get ready to put on your Panama hat hat is completed receives a handsome sum for it. But only one way, the different localities where the hats are W this season view it with renewed interest. It is nc· matter what the pay, it surely is well earned, for made each has a method of handling the skeleton char about the only article of apparel which is still being the weaving of such a hat requires an amazing amount acteristic of that particular s�hool of weaving, and the made in exactly the same way it was when these hats of skill and knowledge of the best sort of "cogollo" to placing and design of the skeleton straws are unfailing came into being centuries ago, before Columbus discov go into its construction. Also it takes an entire season indications, to the initiated, of the place of manufac ered the Americas. That is, of course, if your Panama t(1 complete one. These adepts at .weaving develop a ture of a Panama hat. is a real Panama. And speaking of real Panama hats, sensitiveness in feeling comparable only to our blind Starting at the center of the "plantilla," the weaver in point of fact there is no such thing. Panama hats who have been taught to use their fingers as their eyes. builds a series of concentric braids. Each of these fine are not and never have been made in Panama. They The sense of touch must be delicate in the extreme to circles is called a "carrera." The greatest manual dex acquired this false name because the city of Panama turn out the exceptional Panamas. These wonderful terity is necessary to handle these delicate straws and was· and still is the great distributing center for this gift hats, which rarely ever are seen by ordinary mor interweave them with the skeleton straws, yet keep the particular variety of hat. tals, have a texture as fine and supple as a piece of whole symmetrical. In order to facilitate the bending Panama hats are woven from the leaves of Ca1"I'!tdo· Lyons silk. The weaver who is selected to make one and turning of the straws, the weaver keeps that part vica palmata, a low growing, sturdy member of the attains great honor in his village. Not many of the of the hat on which he is emplo'yed wet by means of a palm family, and the finest of them come mop of straw, which he dips into a vessel from Ecuador; others are made in Colom- I of water at his hand. The entire hat is bia and Peru. This palm, of which there never kept wet; only a very small part of are half a dozen varieties, grows wild in it at a time. When the crown is com the semi-darkness of the tropical jungles pleted and the time comes to join the brim of the Pacific coast of South America. In on to the crown, the weaver slips the selecting its leaves for hat making care is crown onto a block and then attacks the exercised to take the young unopened "carre," as the juncture of crown and leaves. These are pliable, white, and brim is called. I suppose efficiency engi larger than the developed leaf. The rough neers will be shocked to learn that in this outer layers of the leaf are cast away and day and generation the weavers of Panama the smooth, white inner layers which lie hats still persist in the ancient and tuber folded fanwise are carefully cut into, culosis encouraging habit of holding the literally, thousands of fine shreds or strips block in place with their chests instead of varying in size from pieces as fine as the adopting a more healthful and up-to·date hair of a horse's tail to strips as thick as method. The weaver now completes the ordinary twine, according to the quality tortuous ordeal by finishing off the brim of hat to be made. border or "remate," as he calls it. The The knife used for this operation is brim is then pulled into shape by a series very thin and sharp and considerable of firm twists and pulls and the block skill is necessary to cut the leaves, for the removed. strips must not be separated from the The loose straws which stand out, halo parent stem of the leaf. The leaf when like, around the border of the brim are cut is known as a "cogollo." A number of carefully trimmed off, and the hat is lea ves so prepared are tied together by ready to be washed and bleached. After the l'tems and submitted to a process of How Panama hats are bleached after they are received. all the soil has been washed out and it steeping in boiling water. After this they has been given the desired whiteness, it h; are bleached by methods known to the once more put on a block in preparation natives and are then ready to be woven for the process termed "masetear," which into hats. The preparation of the "co means to be beaten with a wooden ham gollo" is an entirely separate industry mer. This calls for great skill, for as the from that of the hat making. Each hammer is manipulated so is the appear "cogollo'.� contains on an average twen ance of the hat changed. When the hat ty-eight straws about 50 centimeters long looks the way the weaver wants it to he and weighs usually 15 grammes. The stops beating it and very gently and pains price the weaver pays for this material takingly proceeds to iron it. This then varies according to the fineness of the completes the process and the hat is texture of the "cogollo" and the even packed with its fellows to begin its com coloring of the straws. mercial adventures. The hats are stacked The hats are not woven in factories, but one within the other and between them in the homes of the weavers. Sometimes sulphur is liberally sprinkled to prevent an entire family is engaged in weaving. moulding, something which must be con In the more remote districts where com stantly guarded against in humid, tropical munity life does not exist all the members countries. Occasionally when hats arrive of a family are provided with "cogollos" at the distributing centers they have dark of a fineness of texture suitable to their spots on them, which are not readily re individual skill. The children are sup moved. There is a certain preparation plied with the coarsest straws and the which is sold for the removal of these older and more experienced weavers with blemishes, but for some reason the for finer material. Where the population per mula has been kept a secret. mits, the weavers gather into congenial When the hats are finished they are groups. The young men of the village taken to the nearest market place on mar Panama hats are received in crates-thousands of dollars worth in a congregate each day and weave in little ket day and there sold to the dealers by single crate. groups, lightening the time of toil with their makers. These markets are pic jokes and stories. Similarly the girls form pleasant best hats are brought to. this country. In the depart- tllresque in the extreme. The gaudily dressed natives, weaving parties and sing while their fingers are busy ment of Antioquia, Colombia, there are weavers who the women wearing innumerable petticoats, the haggling with the palm strands. The. older people are apt to turn out hats which almost any American would be crowds, the colorful display of vegetables, hats, clothes, gather togetheF according to their skill, but there is glad to own, but they do not equal the Ecuador product. and a thousand and one interesting objects, not for usually one weaver whose art is so far ahead of the There is but one place in Peru where the industry getting the quaintly hideous charms sold by the In others that he or she is set apart and generally re flourishes, and that is in the small town and district dians, the patient pacl, animals all go to make up a garded with a generous amount of admiration or envy, known as Catacaos, in the province of Piura. These scene almost incredibly unique, for to-day it is just as as the case may be. On the whole, however, these peo hats are shipped from Paita. In the countries where it was generations ago. Progress has not reached the ple are of a pleasant, though somewhat phlegmatic, Panama hats are made there are but two classes of market places where Panama hats begin their journey disposition. people, the rich or anistocratic class, and the poor or iJ�to the great, bustling world. The utmost perfection in weaving has been attained serving class. Many of the hats which usually find The weavers of the very finest Panama hats do not in the districts of Jipijapa, Monteci'isti, and Santa Ana, their way to the United St.ates and are sold at moderate need to belong to a trade union to insure their working province of Manabf, Ecuador. Some of the hats pro prices are made in Peru. They would be spurned by days being shortened to accepted standards. They work duced there are almost as fine as a linen handkerchief. the upper class in the land where they are woven and 011 an average of from six to eight hours a day, divided Such hats bring very high prices right where they are could be found only on the heads of the downtrodden into periods of from three to four hours each morning made. Wealthy planters affect them, and it is not un poor. and evening, because they' can handle the fine straws �ommon for the equivalent of $50 to be paid to the The Panama hat, like "all Gaul," is divided into only when there is a certain amount of humidity in the weaver for one of these fine hats. three parts. The top of the crown is called the "plan atmosphere. During the middle of the day the air be When one of the aristocrats desires to make a tilla," the sides of the crown "copa," and the brim comes too dry for successful manipulation of the deli princely gift to a distinguished acquaintance, he visits "falda." In beginning the hat the weaver selects eight cate strands of palm leaf. The coarse hats may hI' the most famous weaver, say, in Jipijapa and makes straws which constitute the skeleton and run from the woven at any and all hours. known his particular desire in a hat. The weaver then center of the "plantilla" to the edge of the "falda." When purchasing a Panama it is a good idea to hold devotes all his time to filling the order and when the While it seems that these straws could be arranged in (Ooncluded on pagB 461.)

Panama Hats (Ooncluded from page 456.) it up to the light and look through it to I see whether or not there are any knots or patched places in it. Sometimes in mak ing them the strands are broken and ad ditional ones have to be woven in. This I spoils the texture, although it is not no ticeable in a cursory examination of a new hat. When the hat has been worn I such ends are inclined to stick up and ruin the appearance of the Panama. TESTING A good Panama hat will withstand the roughest kind of usage. It is an idea I THE protection for the head from both sun and '1'ain. It may be subjected to all sorts of " indignities, but the one so often inflicted STEEL on it here in the United States. and that is bleaching it with acids when all it re quires is a careful washing in warm water assisted by a generous lather of Castile Comfort and economy con soap. Do not fea r to wash it as often as you wish. Have the water warm, not hot, tribute largely to the and use all the soap necessary. If pos pleasure of week-end trips sible, dry it on a block, but if no block is available, stuff it with paper or cloth and No Damascus blade had finer steel dry it in the sun. The only bleaching a than the Simonds steel in Simonds Panama hat can stand is sun-bleaching. The sensitive springs, together with the Saws, tempered by the Simonds wide seats and deeply tufted cushions, The fine straws crack and break within a process. When bent almost double insure comfort to the passengers on any they spring back to a mathematical few days after they have received an road. The gasoline and oil consumption is unusual1y low and the tire expense straight edge. hold their set, require little oxalic acid bath. sharpening and all have a perfect balance is trifling. that tires the least. Are the perfect saws for home use, manual training depart ments or the expert carpenter who knows Edison Submarine Boat Storage a good tool. Over eighty years of cutting edge tools has Battery The motor is 30-35 horsepower given the Simonds a world-wide reputation (Ooncluded from page 450.) The price of the car compJete is $785 for perfect saws. (f. o. b. Detroit) lead placed directly on the keel of the Canadian price *1100 (add freight from Detroit) .. IJ.s%for��sSth�: d::�::�dl;3es1}{1oJl15�" craft, to afford increased stability and If your dealer cannot supply you W.l will. safety. Furthermore, the Edison battery Write us for booklet I. is more durable, and it is not damaged by SIMONDS MANUFACTURING CO. "The Saw Makers" prolonged. or oft-repeated over-charging, I Fitchburg, Mass. and it may be charged and recharged to DODGE BROTHERS. DETROIT 5 Factories 11 Branches full capacity without affecting its useful life, its life not depending upon the num ber of cycles of charge and discharge, but on a period of time, four years figuring in the present guarantee of the manufactur ers. 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