Phoenix Hose Company Fire Hat
date: label: Date made
content: 1840-1860
name: label: associated
content: Phoenix Hose Company
label: artist
content: Bowser, David Bustille
notes: label: Description
content: Beginning in the late 18th century, some volunteer fire fighters began to wear hats painted with their company’s name to identify themselves at chaotic fire scenes. During the 19th century, these fire hats became more ornate, as portraits of historical figures, patriotic scenes, allegorical images, or company icons were painted alongside the company’s name, motto, or founding date. Made of pressed felt, these “stove-pipe” hats were primarily used in Philadelphia, but other nearby cities such as Baltimore and Washington adopted them as well. Fire hats were personal items with the owner’s initials often painted on the top of the hat. While these hats were worn at fires, they are more colloquially known as “parade hats.” Fire companies commonly marched in the many parades of the period, and these ornate hats served as the distinguishing feature in a company’s regalia.
label: Description
content: This pressed felt fire hat was used in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the first half of the 19th century. The hat is painted black overall with a painting on the front of the hat that depicts a spread-winged Phoenix grasping a branch in it talons, with a raging fire in the background consuming the Phoenix. There is a golden banner above the painting the reads “PHŒNIX HOSE Co.” The back of the hat has a five-pointed star painted in gold, and the crown of the hat has the initials “W.F.” painted in gold.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
label: associated
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
topic: label: Subject
content: Phoenix
label: Subject
content: Fire Fighting
label: depicted
content: Eagles
label: decorative motif
content: Stars
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Work
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content: Art
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: McCosker, M.J.. The Historical Collection of the Insurance Company of North America
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: 2005.0233.0081
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0081
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
objectType: label: Object Name
content: hat, fire
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: black (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: green (underside of brim color)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric, pressed felt (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: green (underside of brim color)
label: Physical Description
content: painted (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 1/2 in x 12 7/8 in x 14 1/2 in; 16.51 cm x 32.7025 cm x 36.83 cm