I looked up the history of the Bowler hat many of them wore (it was quite popular among the working classes in the late 18000's and early 1900's...it wasn't until later that it became part of the bankers uniform in London's financial district) ; it was originally made for gamekeepers who needed a sturdy hat to protect against branches and such: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowler_hat so it could well be described as the original "hard hat"
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