Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Uniform |
Alternate Name |
Fireman's Cap |
Date |
ca. 1894-1905 |
Description |
Fireman's uniform cap. Navy blue wool. Short cylindrical crown with flat top and black patent leather bill. Black leather strap on front of crown is attached by 2 silver metal buttons with embossed "F.D." Red satin lining with brown leather headband. Printed mark in silver on lining: "CLOTHIER / FURNISHER / & HATTER / TOMPKINS / STAPLETON & W. BRIGHTON / STATEN ISLAND." Silver metal badge in Maltese cross shape pinned to front of cap; badge is inscribed "EDGEWATER / 100 / FIRE DEPT." (Keywords: Fashion, Accessory, Occupational Clothing, Firefighter, Hat, New York) |
Acquisition |
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin B. DePuy |
Ownership and History |
This cap belonged to Alvin B. DePuy (1875-1949), a lifelong Staten Island resident who lived on Anderson Avenue in Port Richmond. He worked for the Post Office for 30 years, and later became the superintendent of mail at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard at Mariners Harbor, Staten Island. Mr. DePuy was a volunteer firefighter with Washington Engine Co. No. 1 of Port Richmond in the 1890s and early 1900s. Organized in 1853, the Washington Engine Co. was one of the more than 75 volunteer fire companies that provided protection for the Island's residents. When Staten Island became a borough of New York City in 1898, the local companies came under control of the City's paid fire department, and in 1905 many of the companies were disbanded. Mysteriously, the badge on Mr. DePuy's uniform cap represents the Edgewater Fire Department; it is unclear why, as Mr. DePuy is not known to have been affiliated with that department. |
Earliest Date |
1894 |
Latest Date |
1905 |
Subjects |
Clothing & dress Fire fighters Emblems Fire fighting |
Lexicon Sub-category |
Clothing -- Outerwear |
Associated People |
DePuy, Alvin Blair |
Catalog Number |
A36.0036 |
Support Acknowledgment |
Online Collections Database record made possible by The Coby Foundation, 2009. |
Legal Status |
Images and text in this database are copyrighted by the Staten Island Historical Society unless otherwise noted. Items represented here are from the collections of the Staten Island Historical Society. Materials reproduced for personal non-commercial use must credit the Staten Island Historical Society. Commercial licensing is available. |