From my collection: 1960s Vintage Hard hat from WTC construction.
The following item is a late 1960s Bullard hard hat, specifically a model 302. These hard hats were highly favored over other early plastic models because of Bullard's long-standing reputation and the dovetail cut in the brim, which allowed workers to get their heads closer to what they were working on.
While impossible to exact-date beyond its post-1966 creation (determined by the maker's mark and model year), it represents a unique era specifically dating to the earliest construction of the World Trade Center complex.
The Decals & Historical Significance
The WTC Safety Sticker: The most obvious is the official "World Trade Center / Progress With Safety" sticker. This is one of the earliest known types—a thick enamel sticker with a blue background and WTC imagery/lettering in gloss yellow. This was later replaced by an inverted version (yellow background, blue lettering) and other variations. While there isn't a consensus on the exact meaning behind the color coding, modern logic suggests different colors denoted specific safety trainings and access levels. Given its rarity and use alongside a Port Authority decal, this helmet could have belonged to a foreman, architect, or planner.
The PONYA Sticker:
This is the most attention-grabbing detail for dating the helmet to the ground-breaking time period. "PONYA" stands for the Port Of New York Authority, the predecessor to the PANYNJ (Port Authority of New York and New Jersey). The WTC was a joint project that signified the joining of the two states and acted as the poster child for the new PANYNJ. The old 'PONYA' logo was entirely sunset around the time of groundbreaking and early construction. Having both stickers makes this piece a highly specific time capsule of the early project.
This hard hats story
While specific provenance regarding the original owner will likely never be determined, the helmet has quite a survival story.
I acquired it from a vintage Bullard collector who worked for a long time at a New Jersey recycling center. They saw a lot of old and damaged PPE come through and would occasionally "liberate" good-condition vintage hard hats. They saw this very early plastic Bullard roll down the shredder line several years ago, and quickly grabbed it, not looking it over until they got home. When they saw the WTC sticker, they knew it must have been important.
Origin aside, the helmet is essentially unworn and in pristine condition (save for some scratches to the plastic from its time in the recycling center). The fragile plastic straps, vinyl padding, and enamel stickers are all immaculate.
I contacted various collectors as well as the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (who have a number of helmets from the construction and recovery efforts). It matches the make and model of several documented pieces, with the distinct caveat of being the most pristine one documented to date.
The helmet now sits proudly in the Between Two Towers collection among various other PANYNJ artifacts, original blueprints, and documents. Hopefully, it will one day be on display at a museum near you.