Fire Helmet, "Excelsior"

unknown · ca 1860

This early leather work hat with its low, dome-shaped crown, narrow brim, and lack of a company shield and shield holder, is vaguely reminiscent of eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century “stovepipe-style” fire hats. Yet it also includes more modern features like combs and a curved, extended rear brim. Indicative of its hybrid, early-to-modern construction, this hat could date to as early as 1812 or as late as 1860. A large label printed inside the crown indicates that the hat belonged to the “Excelsior” Company, possibly of New York.