CHAZELLES-SUR-LYON
FOUR CENTURIES OF HAT TRADITION...
Atelier-Musée du Chapeau
Chazelles-sur-Lyon 42140
Situated 30 miles from Lyon and 18 miles from
Saint-Etienne, Chazelles sur Lyon, a small town of the Monts du Lyonnais, became
prosperous thanks to hair felt
hat industry ( the hair of hares, wild rabbits and
rabbits ).
According to the legend, the settling of felt
manufacturing takes place at the time of the Crusades. Judging by the historical sources,
it dates back to the Sixteenth century at least.
The middle of the Nineteenth century marks the end of
the craft period and of small workshops and leads to the industrial expansion of the town
thanks to the mechanization of some phases of the manufacturing process.
At the beginning of the Twentieth century, Chazelles sur
Lyon is quite prosperous and becomes the main town in the production of the de luxe felt
hat in France (28 factories and 2.500 craftsmen in 1930). Its fame goes beyond the
frontiers with names such as FLECHET, FRANCE, MORRETON.
| The evolution of post-war fashion deals a severe blow to that industry . Since 1976 only one representative has remained : the ECUYER-THOMAS factory.They supply the fashion of Paris and are the last in France to produce hair felt hats. |
|
So, isn’t it natural for this town to preserve, thanks to the Museum, the memory of its rich past |
