Prototype for Helmet Model No. 2

Daniel Tachaux

1917 · Steel, pressed paper or cardboard · Arms and Armor

Daniel Tachaux was the most talented armorer working in Paris when he was hired by Dr. Bashford Dean (1867–1928) in 1909 to maintain the rapidly growing collection of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Dean was commissioned as a Major of Ordnance and tasked with developing protective helmets and body armor for U.S. troops. Tachaux worked closely with Dean to create the designs and then to make prototypes by hand, including this example, which was one of their earliest models.

Artist

Daniel Tachaux

Date

1917

Medium

Steel, pressed paper or cardboard

Culture

American, New York

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Purchase, Gift of Bashford Dean, by exchange, 2013