Firefighter Hats

[rlk]

By about 1880 professionals seemed to be wearing one of these two hats(with some variations.

1866 NY Metropolitan Fire Dept.

Before that there were some that appeared to be wearing the standard attire of the time at least for photos.
1869 Cincinnati

The only Derby photo I could find for any date:
Cincinnati 1875

1880 Aurora, IL.

1885 St. Paul MN.

1888 L.A. CA.

This was common by 1900

 

[rlk]

Early Helmets

1858

1875 L.A. CA. Chief

1880's Michigan

1880's Cortland NY.

1886 NYFD Veterans

1880's Albany NY

Jersey City

 

[rlk]

Brooklyn

 

[Matt Deckard]

Awesome job RLK... Good research work!
Thank you for this.


I have a few firefighter friends that I have to turn onto this thread.

There is a leather worker not too near me but I go to. He's in the high desert. Along with other things, he does custom firefighter helmets that I'll have to photograph in the creation process next time I head up to his shop.

 

[Maguire]

Great thread i just had to point out..

anyone else notice that fat guy in what appears to be a way too small t shirt on the far right?

 

[rlk]

The Life of an American Fireman 1903
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4C0gJ7BnLc

Chaplin 1916 The Fireman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCsPu_FqeM

 

[rlk]

Leather Helmets

 

[Chasseur]

Very informative and original thread! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Big Man]

I've been a Firefighter for almost 30 years, so I think this is a great thread with some very interesting pictures. I have several old pictures taken between 1890 and 1930 of the Firemen and equipment of the State Hospital at Morganton (now Broughton Hospital) where I worked. I'll have to scan them and post them here as well.

 

[bendingoak]

Thank you for posting this. These photos helps to prove my point on the about the bowler.

 

[rlk]

Thank you for posting this. These photos helps to prove my point on the about the bowler.

Note the leather fire helmet predates the Bowler's invention. The above story dates the New York Helmet to 1821-36. The Bowler's invention dates to 1849 in England. The 1875 photo of men in their suits and standard headwear of the time(for civilians) was the only photo I could find and no info at all on Derby/Bowler as a Firefighting uniform hat. Probably some early volunteer firemen just wore what they had and the Bowler/Derby was the most common hat style worn in the latter part of the 19th Century and first two decades of the 20th by all men.

 

[B.J. Hedberg]

Bendingoak, RLK, this has been a fantastic history lesson; many thanks to you both for it.

 

[rlk]

Glad it is of interest. After doing quite a bit of searching it seemed worthwhile to post. I like the caps and helmets but wouldn't consider wearing them out of respect for Firefighters. Some could indeed make interesting display objects.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

But the bowler could have been needed as protection in an emergency situation
-- that is, unless one is naturally hard-headed.

 

[bendingoak]

You have to relize there are so many fire departments across the country. They all don't work the same. The leather helmet you have posted were it looks like it's a cross between a bowler and a new yorker helmet was inspired by the bowler. Very east coast design. The west coast has nothing like it. Their helots have involved from a different design.

The bowlers were not used for fighting fire but just head wear. Could be before the bell cap or alternative to the bell cap. Hard to say but the bowler with the Maltese cross was something they did to show that the person wearing the bowler was a firemen.


It could be very much so that the volunteer department wore them because they didn't have the money for both the bell cap and the bolwer.

They had two departments at one point in new York. That's why today the new york fire department is called FDNY instead of NYFD. The NYFD was all volunteer and then they started paying fire firgthers in the inner part of the city. Starting with manhattan. They wanted to keep the departments separate so the paid fire fighter was known as the FDNY.


Most people today put little thought behind wearing something worn by a fire fighter.

The Maltese cross worn by fire fighters on the their left chest is a sign that this person works one rung away from death and is willing to risk his life for a complete stranger at a moments notice. Something not to be taken lightly.

John

 

[zetwal]

Wikipedia, stated to be from 1879.

 

[Lefty]

Could be before the bell cap or alternative to the bell cap. Hard to say but the bowler with the Maltese cross was something they did to show that the person wearing the bowler was a firemen.

I don't think that part is true. That cross-shaped vent is far too common on ebay to have any relationship to firefighters - at least on any bowler made since 1900. I can't say how many, but I'm guessing that I've seen more than 100 of these cross-ventilated bowlers. In fact, there's a Stetson up up right now with that vent that is certainly from the last century. Unless firefighter-chic swept the nation like the FDNY shirts did after 911, I just can't buy the modern relationship.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Ventilated hats and their various punched in snowflake patterns are pretty common in vintage light weight summer felts, particularly bowlers. To attribute that certain one to a fire fighter's only design really requires some proof.

I know you put a lot of weight into that hat and we all respect firefighters, but i don't believe that to be a firefighter hat since I've seen so many like it before. I believe it's just a regular ventilated summer bowler.

And for people who came to this thread and have no idea what's being talked about.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=1038468&postcount=9904

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=1038734&postcount=9913

 

[Lefty]

While I agree with you, we're talking about something more specific than general ventilation. Here's a shot of the one up right now.

Dinerman's Playboy

early '30s Stetson Playboy airlight

 

[tnitz]

Leather helmets > Fiberglass

A few years ago two members of our department ordered leather helmets that are still approved. I never looked that closely at them so can't say how they were made, but they are spendy.

Not long before that I saw two leather helmets at a flea market in the area - I didn't buy them, but they are still out there.

What I did have (and later fixed up and gave as a retirement gift) was an early fiberglass helmet that mimic'd the lines of the old leather helmets really well - a far cry from the helmets we wear today. I suspect there are alot of those around too.