Junior Fire Company Fire Hat
date: label: date made
content: 1813-1860
name: label: associated
content: Junior Fire Company
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 was used in Reading, Pennsylvania during the first half of the 19th century. The hat is painted red overall, with the “JUNIOR/1813” painted in gold on the front of the hat, and a golden number “2” painted on the back of the hat. The crown of the hat has the word “CAMEL.” painted in gold surrounded by two geometric sunburst patterns. This hat was likely used by a member of the Junior Fire Company that was founded on December 2, 1813 in Reading, Pennsylvania.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
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
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
label: See more items in
content: Clothing & Accessories
label: See more items in
content: Fire Hats
label: See more items in
content: Work
label: See more items in
content: Firefighting Collection
label: See more items in
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: 2005.0233.0065
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0065
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
objectType: label: Object Name
content: hat, fire
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: painted (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 3/4 in x 12 5/16 in x 14 1/4 in; 17.145 cm x 31.242 cm x 36.195 cm