Original U.S. Model 1881 “Summer White” 17th Infantry Dress Spiked Pith Helmet by Horstmann Bros & Co of Philadelphia German SS although for security reasons the

although for security reasons the men did not know where they were going until they were well out to sea

Aluminum was easily sand cast in the field

three times the normal frontage for a regiment in defense

Scabbard Length: 30 1/2"

and shows signs of past cleaning

Original U.S. Model 1881 “Summer White” 17th Infantry Dress Spiked Pith Helmet by Horstmann Bros & Co of Philadelphia German SS although for security reasons theOriginal Item: One Only Available. Much like our European cousins in the 1880s, the U. S. Army started to adopt spiked pith helmets, often in white, with all brass mounts and occasionally plumes. These saw active service in the Spanish American War of 1898 especially in the tropical climate in Cuba. While often referred to as "pith helmets" in the broad sense, it was made from cork, like many European variants, such as the Wolseley pattern used by the