The plumed and spiked dress helmets worn by the U.S. Army between 1872 and 1904 have become exceptionally rare today. But these helmets have intrigued collectors and military historians since their use was discontinued shortly after the turn of the 20th Century. They were the most colorful helmets ever worn by the American Army and they are more reminiscent of Europe than North America. Following the defeat of France during the Franco- Prussian War, the German army was seen as the most powerful in the world. Their tactics, arms and uniforms was emulated and the United States was no exception.
Beginning in 1872, the plumed shako was replaced by a tall, bell shaped helmet with a deep lobster-back tail and short brim. Mounted soldiers and officers wore cords and flowing plumes in the colors of their branch of service yellow for cavalry, scarlet for artillery, black or orange for signal corps foot soldiers and lower ranking officers wore spikes. Some regiments allowed the use of unadorned white helmets during the summer and tan helmets were worn by enlisted men for fatigue duties.
Because these felt helmets were quite delicate, their survival rate is not high. Over the years, numerous reproductions have been offered to collectors, reenactors and even to military units wearing past uniforms for ceremonial occasions. Many of the reproduction metal parts were struck from original dies and are quite difficult to tell from the originals, as are many of the felt helmets produced in the 1950s and '60s.
Mark Kasal and Don Moore have studied and collected the original Model 1872 and 1881 helmets for years. They used their expertise and collections, as well as those supplied by authorities in the field and museums to explain the history of the development and use of these helmets. They have also described on a part-by-part basis, each component of the helmet and described the differences between original and reproduction parts.
A Guidebook to U.S. Army Dress Helmets 1872 -1904 This is the first book to provide such a detailed examination of the these colorful U.S. Army dress helmets of the Indian War period and to explain the difference between original and reproduction helmets and parts. The book is well-illustrated with more than 150 photos and drawings, including eight pages in full color. Numerous original photos of soldiers and officers wearing these color ful helmets, including one of Tom Mix, the famous cowboy actor, as a sergeant, are shown. This book is a must for collectors, reenactors and historians who want to know the history and how to setup the helmets correctly for a particular historical period.
