Diligent Hose Company Fire Hat
date: label: Date made
content: 1820-1860
name: label: maker
content: unknown
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 contributed to the visual culture of their day. These distinguishing features in a company’s regalia often proclaimed the members’ cultural and political identity as well as their position on contested topics such as work, religion and immigration.
label: Description
content: This fire hat belonged to a member of the Diligent Hose Company No. 13 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1820, the hose company operated until 1871 when Philadelphia’s paid firefighting department was established. The Diligent Hose Company chose a beehive as their primary icon. It has been a symbol of industry, hard work, and cooperation used by many different groups. The beehive, along with their name of Diligent, implies that the members persistently worked together to serve the community in their role as firemen. Although the beehive and five-pointed star are also Masonic symbols, that does not necessarily link company members to the society. Many Masonic emblems were well known and used by other organizations in the Early Republic.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States
topic: label: Subject
content: Beehives
label: Subject
content: Fire Fighting
label: depicted
content: Stars
label: Subject
content: Fraternal Associations
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
label: See more items in
content: Clothing & Accessories
label: See more items in
content: Family & Social Life
label: See more items in
content: Work
label: See more items in
content: Art
label: See more items in
content: Artifact Walls exhibit
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: 2005.0233.0032
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0032
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
objectType: label: Object Name
content: hat, fire
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: maroon (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: green (underbrim color)
label: Physical Description
content: gold (decoration; trim color)
label: Physical Description
content: red (lettering color)
label: Physical Description
content: painted (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: pressed felt (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 in x 11 3/4 in x 13 1/8 in; 15.24 cm x 29.845 cm x 33.3375 cm