Object numberM2015/005:014
DescriptionThis is a typed one-page letter from Gyula [Heitler, later: John Hilton] in Zurich to Sandor [Alexander] in Australia. The letter is dated 19th August 1946.
John Hilton was one of Sydney’s most successful fashion manufacturers. His success in Australia had its roots in a small town near Bratislava, where the parents of Gyula Heitler depended on his help in their general store. Here he learned how to buy and sell. Arriving from Europe in 1947, Gyula changed his name to John J Hilton and worked for his sponsor Alexander ‘Gigi’ Schwarz at Olympia Fashions, a dress shop in Pitt Street. Together with his elder brother Emil he started a business manufacturing ladies knitwear.
Adopting the trading name, John J Hilton, they looked around for what Australia might not have in fashion and decided to focus on women in their mid-twenties and older, offering them elegant frocks at a fair price. The dresses would be durable and not likely to go out of fashion quickly. He made up a slogan ‘It’s a Honey, It’s a Hilton’. The business grew to 100 employees. With showrooms around Australia and representatives in Paris, New York and London, John J Hilton was one of the first to export Australian fashion to Japan, as well as to Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada and United States. A pioneer in the use of wool in women’s dresses, John J Hilton was the recipient of fashion awards, including the Australian Wool Award.
This letter is a part of a correspondence between Gyula [John], Emil [Gyula's brother], Jolli [Jolana, sister of Gyula and Emil] and Alexander [relative of Gyula and Emil, often referred to as Sandor], in order to settle Gyula and Emil over to Australia. Gyula stresses again that he is looking forward to finally soon stay with Alexander in Australia and that it is not, like Alexander seemed to think, out of a sense of obligation. In the meantime Emil went back home and Gyula left him his girlfriend's address. He then speaks abou having been to Paris for business reasons.
John Hilton was one of Sydney’s most successful fashion manufacturers. His success in Australia had its roots in a small town near Bratislava, where the parents of Gyula Heitler depended on his help in their general store. Here he learned how to buy and sell. Arriving from Europe in 1947, Gyula changed his name to John J Hilton and worked for his sponsor Alexander ‘Gigi’ Schwarz at Olympia Fashions, a dress shop in Pitt Street. Together with his elder brother Emil he started a business manufacturing ladies knitwear.
Adopting the trading name, John J Hilton, they looked around for what Australia might not have in fashion and decided to focus on women in their mid-twenties and older, offering them elegant frocks at a fair price. The dresses would be durable and not likely to go out of fashion quickly. He made up a slogan ‘It’s a Honey, It’s a Hilton’. The business grew to 100 employees. With showrooms around Australia and representatives in Paris, New York and London, John J Hilton was one of the first to export Australian fashion to Japan, as well as to Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada and United States. A pioneer in the use of wool in women’s dresses, John J Hilton was the recipient of fashion awards, including the Australian Wool Award.
This letter is a part of a correspondence between Gyula [John], Emil [Gyula's brother], Jolli [Jolana, sister of Gyula and Emil] and Alexander [relative of Gyula and Emil, often referred to as Sandor], in order to settle Gyula and Emil over to Australia. Gyula stresses again that he is looking forward to finally soon stay with Alexander in Australia and that it is not, like Alexander seemed to think, out of a sense of obligation. In the meantime Emil went back home and Gyula left him his girlfriend's address. He then speaks abou having been to Paris for business reasons.
Production placeZürich, Switzerland
Production date
Object nameletters
Dimensions
- width: 210.00 mm
height: 295.00 mm
Language
- German Needs to be translated.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Jeffrey Hilton