CAUSSADE and the hatter tradition
Some details of this very beautiful museographic and scenographic space,
that tells you the hatter epic.
This museum is opened from monday to saturday from 9.00am till 5.00pm
The QUERCY CAUSSADAIS, a very important hat manufacturing basin.
PERRETTE GLEYE, better known as PETRONILLE CANTECOR, was born in CAUSSADE in 1770. in 1787, she married JEAN CANTECOR, a farmer, and moved with him to SEPTFONDS.
While she keeps her sheep, the idea comes to her to assemble strands of straw. Thus is born the "PAILLOLE", a term which designates the braid, then the straw hat worn by women.
In 1796, PETRONILLE created his first hat-making workshop. Then she founded a second factory and passed on her knowledge to her cousin ANDRE REY. She died in 1846, leaving her factory to her grandson FORTUNE CANTECOR, who carry her to the pinnacle with a production of 5000 hats a day.
In 1857, ANDRE REY received a subsidy from the city of CAUSSADE to settle there.
The arrival of the railway in 1884 and elctricity in 1896 fostered the economic development of the whole Caussadais basin.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the city counts thirty factories employing more than 3000 people. The industry flourished, gives an important place to the boater dear to MAURICE CHEVALIER.
The city established its fame as a great center hatter French.
During the 1930s, major strikes disrupted the whole hatchery area. Then the democratization of the automobile and the change of fashion dress, announce the decline of this industry.
In 1937, the ROUSSEAU factory diversified it by developing the production of hats in new materials (rabanne, width, furs, ...).
Beginning of 1946, AUGUSTE CRAMBES developed the textile hat would allow the basin to better resist the crisis.
Today, the REY WILLY'S PARIS and CRAMBES factories continue in CAUSSADE and the COUSTILLIERES factory in SEPTFONDS.
LA CADANELLAU 2575 Route de Nègrepelisse - 82300 CAUSSADE - FRANCE
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