Germany, Feuerschutzpolizei. An Enlisted/NCO’s Visor Cap, by Litto-Mütze

(Schirmmütze für Männer der Feuerschutzpolizei). A Feuerschutzpolizei (Fire Protection Police) Enlisted/NCO’s field cap, constructed of smooth dark blue wool. The cap features reinforced side walls, fully lined on the exterior with a black doeskin wool cap band. Both the top and bottom edges of the cap band are trimmed with lengths of carmine wool piping, with an additional length of identical piping trimming the outer edge of the crown. Pinned onto the peak is an aluminum cockade, measuring 24 mm in total diameter, with a red wool centrepiece. Directly underneath the cockade, the centre of the cap band is pinned with an additional insignia consisting of a silvered zink Ordnungspolizei insignia in the form of an oval oak leaf wreath, overlaid by a German national eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika. The eagle insignia measures 55 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). Dual pebbled magnetic metal buttons flank the cap band, formerly securing in place a chinstrap which has since been lost to time. Completing the exterior features is an unusual two-piece visor, consisting of a black vulcanfibre outer layer, with a brown card stock reverse liner. The interior of the side walls is lined with a light brown leatherette sweatband, measuring 38 mm in width. A period newspaper has been inserted behind the sweatband to reinforce the cap’s structural integrity. It is also fully encompassed by a brown rayon-blended liner, with the crown retaining an intact transparent plastic rhomboid moisture guard. The former bears a gilt maker’s mark of “LITTO-MÜTZE, WIEN”, for the firm of Johann Littomericzky of Vienna. Also inserted into the guard is a white paper label bearing a size mark of “58”. The cap measures approximately 250 mm (w) x 290 mm (l) x 170 mm (h). Issues consistent with age and light wear are evident in addition to the missing chinstrap, and include consistent moth damage to the carmine piping, additional moth nips to the wool crown, the loss of finish to the zink insignis, and bending of the side wall reinforcements which has compromised the cap’s shape. This high-quality, private-purchased cap is in an overall fair condition.