Fire Helmet, "F.A."
date: label: date made
content: 19th century
name: label: referenced
content: Fire Association
label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: The traditional American leather firefighter’s helmet with its distinctive long rear brim, frontpiece, and crest adornment was first developed around 1821-1836 in New York City. Henry T. Gratacap, a New York City luggage maker by trade, is often credited as the developer of this style of fire helmet. Gratacap created a specially treated leather helmet with a segmented “comb” design that led to unparalleled durability and strength. The elongated rear brim (also known as a duckbill or beavertail) and frontpiece were 19th century innovations that remain the most identifiable feature of firefighter’s helmets. The body of the helmet was primarily designed to deflect falling debris, the rear brim prevented water from running down firefighters’ backs, and their sturdy crowns could aid, if necessary, in breaking windows.
label: Description
content: This leather fire helmet was used during the 19th century, likely in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The helmet has eight combs, with a metal eagle frontpiece holder mounted on the crown. The hat is missing its front frontpiece, but the rear brim features a gold painted image of a fire hydrant with attached gushing hose, flanked by the initials “FA.” This was the logo of the Fire Association of Philadelphia, an insurance company founded by a group of eleven volunteer engine companies and five volunteer hose companies in 1817. The hat likely belonged to a fire company that was part of the Fire Association of Philadelphia. There is a paper label inside the hat that reads “Presented to Insurance Company of North American by William K. Gorhan, Ridley Park, Pa., husband of Martha Stille McIntyre Gorham, whose father, John McIntyre owned same.”
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Fire Fighting
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Work
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content: Firefighting Collection
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content: Fire Helmets
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0233.0154
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0154
objectType: label: Object Name
content: helmet, fire
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 9 in x 14 1/2 in x 10 1/2 in; 22.86 cm x 36.83 cm x 26.67 cm