The Mexican Haubes

I think the academy association may be correct! Also note that both the helmet with plume and the Arizona museum helmet are NCO in configuration, rather than the officer grade helmets we see with the standard Mexican plate. This would make sense for aspirants at the academy, IMO. Here is a helmet sold recently, about which I have my doubts...

29p21s6.jpg
 
I agree. It has an assembled vibe to it. The eagle is mounted very low on the helmet for example. I am very interested to see that possible academy helmet. I find myself up and around the Chapultepec castle in the summers and see the students exercising, parading and so forth and try to imagine all the drills up there in those pickelhaubes back in 1910.
 
The chin scales in the picture above do not fasten in the German way. The metal helme chin scales do. Consequently, this would suggest the scales shown are not original. My guess would be Indian manufacture.
 
Kk, I think your box is full and I could not respond. You are lucky to have that. There was just one plate used-- the spread wing eagle and they were all the same size. The other eagle discussed here seems to have had other purposes such as use by the military academy.
 
Here are some Post-Revolution Cadets. They are wearing the spread-wing eagle. I think the helmet Arran posted is the very early modelof 1905. I'm not sure that I have ever even seen a photo of this helmet before.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=30k9grn&s=9#.WmI6_B1G0u8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
I found this at the Military Museum in Vienna, Austria. The helmets of Garde du Korps of Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico.

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John
 
I am delighted to see these excellent photos. I knew the helmets were there but I wonder why? I suspect they were never shipped to Mexico. One of these sold at Hermann Historica about a decade ago for over $100,000. When Mexican friends go to Austria, Austrian customs officials love to point out that they killed their prince. They have a very different sense of history over there.

Probably the most famous photo associated with Maximilian's palace guard is that of its commander, Count Karl of Bombelles. Karl was a childhood friend of Maximilian. I have always wondered why personal bodyguard Karl wasn't with the emperor when he was captured and shot by Juarez's Republican troops. Later on Emperor Franz Joseph put Karl in charge of his only son Crown Prince Rudolf who committed suicide with his 17 year old mistress. Karl is described by one recent author as a "roué" of the first order.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2gwbzmp&s=9#.WmTMrh1G0qw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Thanks again for posting. Its an impressive uniform, closer to a German "reiter" of this period than anything Austrian or French.
 
This week Hermann Historica Auction sold one of the Maximilian bodyguard helmets for $154,000.00!
 
Here's the URL for the helmet. Nice photography and details.

https://www.hermann-historica.de/en/l/175698/mexico/a_helmet_for_the_palace_guard_under_emperor_maximilian_i_of_mexico_1864-67?accid=1799&aid=177&Lstatus=0&currentpos=1
 
While we await Arran to reveal more of his fantastic acquisition, I wonder if anybody has any remarks about this piece from an auction last November. It sold for $1800.00. It looks to me like a refitted Prussian kurassier helmet. The eagle is unique with its down turned wings as are other details such as the black painted very worn interior visors, the bare metal skull interior and the affixing of a "2" to the left side of the helmet, these numbers sometimes appearing on Mexican leather pickelhaubes. The kokarde also looks original. There's just something about it that suggests an original but who would wear this then?

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/77648499_mexican-life-guard-regiment-cuirassier-s-helmet#&gid=1&pid=3
 
I think its likely a cobbled together piece. The plate has at one time been a standard Mexican plate that has had the wings cut and re-attached, possibly because it was already damaged, or perhaps to cover holes in the helmet body. Are there any period photos of the Mounted Escort helmet in wear?
 
Ok... it looks like a refitted Swedish Lievgarde helmet. You are right the eagle wings were separated and re-attached lower down.

https://www.bukowskis.com/en/lots/931877-a-swedish-royal-cavalry-helmet-m-1879-1900-1928-early-20th-century
 
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