The cap is black with a flat circular top and a short visor. The attached badge, of metal with red and black enamel, identifies the wearer as a conductor on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road"). There are two small buttons on each side with the initials CMStP&P. The cap is made of a mesh fabric on top and sides, which identifies it as a summer cap. The cap is typical of those used on many US railroads in the 1930s through the 1960s. The conductor had—and still has today—overall charge of the train and its management, the safety of its passengers, and the accounting of fares.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.