Firefighter’s leather helmet

Firefighter’s leather helmet

In days gone by, pieces of safety equipment for firefighters, such as these helmets, protected their heads from falling debris in burning buildings. This one was made from molded and painted leather and was used in Indianapolis around 1885. In the early days of The Children’s Museum, there were fewer museums in town than there are today, so this was often the first place people thought of when they wanted to donate their significant local history artifacts for education and preservation.