This article starts in 1919 but I would assume that wearing hats to protect one's head mechanically (opposed to thermally) has been a tradition since hats were invented. While the hat mentioned in the article is a definite milestone, I wouldn't say it's the starting point for protective hats.<p>Checking wikipedia I see bowler hats were first created in 1849, and from the article[0]:<p>[the manufacturers had] been commissioned by a customer to design a close-fitting, low-crowned hat to protect gamekeepers from low-hanging branches while on horseback at Holkham Hall<p>A traditional bowler is a very sturdy piece of equipment and I could believe the afforded good protection for their day and is very much in the spirit of a modern hard hat.<p>[0] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowler_hat" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowler_hat</a>
I am just waiting for the day I can get my name painted on my hardhat at the shipyard. It certainly is a status symbol here. It's a telltale sign that someone isn't experienced when they're walking around with an undamaged hard hat. It's a telltale sign they might be too risky when they walk around looking like they went through a tornado!<p>Edit: Also every one always complains about the NYT paywall, but it's $5 a month for a digital only subscription. I can't help but think I read more than enough content to get value.
One more part of this is the original British Police.<p>They had a requirement that any applicants be at least 5'9", and in order to cut an even more imposing figure, they wore tough Beaver Top Hats, which served a dual purpose: raising the height of any officer to at least 6 feet, and to protect their heads against blows from unhappy citizens. Police in the UK have worn some form of head protection ever since.
The article neglects to mention that protection against head trauma was the whole original purpose of top hats. They were worn by coach drivers, and then fox hunters took them up (along with the split coat tails, thence to become formal wear, ultimately), for the same purpose. Being thrown from a horse or overturned wagon, or struck by a low-hanging branch, was a real hazard in both cases.<p>As noted elsewhere, London bobbies subsequently adopted them, too, but they had to exist first.
Always fun to watch video footage of factories, construction sites, etc., and pick out who is who by hat color, whether
suspension system has been adjusted or not, and what stickers
may show up. In the US, yellow is often entry-level, white
is usually supervisor or VIP visitor, but look for wear,
scuffing, and dirt to be sure.
Funny how simple things become status symbols in some place but not in others. Here in France, a hard hat is just a PPE for use in the construction industry, not any kind of status symbol. Perhaps those categories of workers and their members are perceived differently on the two side of the Atlantic?
Related video showing why you should always wear a hard hat on a construction site:<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufbOJhaZRmI" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufbOJhaZRmI</a>