Western Fire Hat
date: label: date made
content: 1840s
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: This fire hat dates to the middle of the 19th century. The hat is painted red overall, with the front of the hat bearing the text “WESTERN / 1840” in gold. The back of the hat has the large initials “WEC” painted in gold. The owner’s initials “D.S.” are painted in gold on the crown of the hat. The Western Fire Engine Company No. 37 was founded on April 7th, 1840 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the corner of 8th Street and Callowhill Street. The Western operated as a hand engine company and acquired a steam fire engine in 1865. It served as a steam fire engine company until 1871 when Philadelphia’s paid firefighting department was established.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
topic: label: Subject
content: Fire Fighting
label: Subject
content: Fraternal Associations
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: Fire Hats
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content: Work
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content: Firefighting Collection
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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: 2005.0233.0096
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0096
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
objectType: label: Object Name
content: hat, fire
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric, pressed felt (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: painted (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 7 in x 14 in x 12 1/4 in; 17.78 cm x 35.56 cm x 31.115 cm