Those type of helmets were made by Huwood &Co of Gateshead.
1947, a lot of miners were still wearing cloth caps! Some pictures of miners
well into the 1950's show the flat caps were still being worn underground in UK
pits. Helmets became standard issue as caplamps became common.
I don't recall when the NCB made it compulsory to wear helmets underground,
could have been after the 1954 Coal Mines Act came into being.
But at pits still using safety lamps as personal lighting and bucket lamps, many
miners would have still been wearing cloth caps.
________________________________
From: Roger Gosling <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, May 3, 2011 7:03:40 AM
Subject: Helmets used in UK coal mining
Hi all
I have had an enquiry from the Bristol Old Vic theatre company wanting to borrow
some helmets for a play which is partly about coalmining in Yorkshire in the
period 1947 to 1988. The part where helmets are worn is set in 1947.
I believe the type of helmet in use then is most likely the "compressed
cardboard" or, perhaps more correctly, "compressed pith" type as in
http://www.pznow.co.uk/attractions/penlee.html
in the section titled “Social Life and Culture” (there are of course lots of
other pics of these on the www)!
The original enquiry from the theatre company was asking to borrow aluminium
helmets, I assume as in
http://www.angloanddutch.co.uk/miners-helmet-30-p.asp
This webpage says the helmet was made in America and I am not aware of these
being used in the UK, but of course I could be wrong.
So queries to you people are:
Were aluminium helmets ever used in the UK coalmining industry? If so what
period?
When were the compressed pith helmets most commonly in use?
What was used before this type and the period of use?
For my own interest, as it is later than when the play is set, when did
coalminers in the UK start using Texolex helmets?
For anyone interested in seeing the play, details are on
http://www.oldvic.ac.uk/salt-of-the-earth.html
and the performances are from 15 to 25 June. There is a link to book tickets on
the above webpage.
Cheers
Roger
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