Cairns and Bros. “Solid Top” Fire Helmet 1940s

In 1869, Henry T. Gratacap, who many consider to be father of the American fire helmet, sold his fire fighter helmet business to the Cairns brothers, Jasper and Henry, creating Cairns and Brother. They had partnered with Gratacap around 1840 to produce the brass finials for his helmets. The leather fire helmet business remained a core part of their fire equipment supply business as they grew over the years, with them opening three factories in New York City and one in New Jersey. Throughout the decades, the company began to produce many updated versions of the firefighter helmet, including the very recognizable N5A that was introduced in 1986. Cairns was purchased by Mine Safety Appliance Co. (MSA) in 2000, and the firm continues to produce helmets under the Cairns brand as of 2011.

This helmet we have on display was owned by the La Grange Fire Department from either Texas, Tennessee, or Illinois. This particular hat was only made for leather for simple protection of the head, as there is only a short brim all around the hat to protect the wearer, compared to a longer piece of leather on more modern helmets. The front piece (the piece that displays the fire department) appears to be fixed in place with four nails.

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