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Mask, Gas

Object number2014.121.1

Manufacturer Mine Safety Appliances Company

Datec. 1943

MediumRubber/Plastic/Metal/Fabric/Leather

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

DescriptionBlack rubber, metal, and fabric full face gas mask with eye lenses and two tubes connecting to a cylindrical filter. Mask is made of rubber and has fabric straps extending to the back and connecting around a central leather circle which also is connected to the filter canister by metal hooks. The tubes connecting to the filter are on each side of the mask.Dimensions7.5 x 9 x 17 in. (19.1 x 22.9 x 43.2 cm)
MarksLeft end of filter canister "B2" and right side "B141".

Bottom front of mask "43 MSA LOT / 65".

Forehead area of mask "USN / U".
Historical NotesThis MSA gas mask – possibly a Mark III US Navy gas mask - represents the company’s shift from mining supplies to military defense work, a process that started in World War I and continued during World War II. MSA did breathing apparatus work for multiple military branches during World War II, including ship-board and high-altitude masks for the U. S. Navy aviation program and masks for special U. S. Army programs such as the amphibious tank units prior to the invasion of Normandy. This mask would have been distributed to U. S. Navy sailors once they came on board a ship to take up their post during the war. Celebrated for their development of breathing apparatus and protective headgear, Mine Safety Appliance Company made several key contributions to the welfare of soldiers. For the U. S. Army, the company retooled the shape of its laminated plastic "Skullguard" helmet into what became the M1 helmet liner. MSA shared the patent and made millions of liners themselves. The company also innovated the design of a special tank driver helmet and reshaped versions of its breathing apparatus to meet different high tech needs. These included an experimental breathing mask for use in amphibious tanks and aviation masks that allowed high-flying combat pilots to breathe in non-pressurized cabins.

Related institution United States Navy

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