American Helmet Model No. 8

Ford Motor Company

1918 · Steel, leather, felt, canvas, bronze, pigment, sawdust · Arms and Armor

This helmet, and others in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, were designed by Bashford Dean between 1917 and 1918. Model No. 8 has a visor to provide maximum protection to the face while still allowing good visibility and movement. Model No. 5 gave more coverage to the back and sides of the head than the regulation helmet then worn by American and British troops. The Sentinel's Helmet, Model No. 7, was meant for limited use in forward positions, where heavy fire was expected. Its construction was based directly on a type of Italian helmet that was popular in the fifteenth century.

Artist

Ford Motor Company

Date

1918

Medium

Steel, leather, felt, canvas, bronze, pigment, sawdust

Culture

American, Philadelphia

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Rogers Fund, by exchange, 2012