Fire Helmet, "Independent 1 Dunmore"
date: label: date made
content: ca 1885
name: label: producer
content: Cairns & Brother
label: maker
content: Cairns & Brother
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 made by Cairns & Brother of New York, New York in the late-19th century. This red helmet was a Cairns Ventilater model with four combs in a cross-thatched design and a metal eagle frontpiece holder mounted on the crown of the hat. The date “1885” is painted in white on the rear brim of the helmet. The leather frontpiece is painted white with a black cross in the center. The frontpiece reads “INDEPENDENT/1/DUNMORE.” The helmet likely belonged to the Independent Hose Company Number 1 of Dunmore, Pennsylvania founded in 1885.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
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: 2005.0233.0150
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0150
objectType: label: Object Name
content: helmet, fire
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: red (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (part: shield holder material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 9 in x 14 1/4 in x 10 3/4 in; 22.86 cm x 36.195 cm x 27.305 cm