Fire Helmet, "N.Y. Volunteer Association"
date: label: date made
content: 1845
name: label: maker
content: Anderson & Jones
label: maker
content: Anderson & Jones
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 Anderson & Jones of New York, New York around 1845. The black helmet has an embossed ivy-vine design around the helmet’s brim. The helmet has 32 combs and a metal eagle frontpiece holder attached to its crown. The black leather frontpiece has a central image of a speaking trumpet topped by a fire helmet, with a variety of firefighting paraphernalia including hoses, hooks, and axes behind it. The frontpiece reads “N.Y./VOLUNTEER/ASSOCIATION/HKW” around the central image. On the rear underbrim is an inset that bears the text “Presented to/H.K. Woodruff by/ G.J.D. M.S.D.V./M.L. J.E.M./P.S.D.V.” This hat was presented to H.K. Woodruff, a volunteer firefighter formerly of the Independent Hose Company No. 3, upon the organization of the New York Volunteer Firemen’s Association. The Firemen’s Association was organized in February of 1884 and was filled with ex-volunteer firemen who wished to keep the memory of volunteer firefighting alive after the creation of the paid fire department in New York.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
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: 2005.0233.0160
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0160
objectType: label: Object Name
content: helmet, fire
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 3/4 in x 15 1/8 in x 10 1/4 in; 22.225 cm x 38.4175 cm x 26.035 cm