Philadelphia Contributionship Fire Mark
Philadelphia Contributionship Fire Mark
- Description (Brief)
- Beginning in the 1750s, some American insurance companies issued metal fire marks to policyholders to signify that their property was insured against fire damage. The fire marks bore the name and/or symbol of the insurer, and some included the customer’s policy number. The company or agent would then affix the mark to the policyholder’s home or business. For owners the mark served as proof of insurance and a deterrent against arson. For insurance companies the mark served as a form of advertising, and alerted volunteer firefighters that the property was insured.
- The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire issued this fire mark for policy number 1904 to Robert Fulton of 121 South Second Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania around 1765. The fire mark consists of the company’s symbol cast in lead showing four hands clasped at the wrist attached to a shield-shaped wooden backing. The Philadelphia Contributionship was established in 1752, becoming the first successful fire insurance company in America. Benjamin Franklin was one of its founding members. The Contributionship began as a mutual insurance company and this concept is represented by its “Hand in Hand” fire mark. The Philadelphia Contributionship is still in operation.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- fire mark
- date made
- 1765
- maker
- unknown
- place made
- United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- lead (overall material)
- Measurements
- board: 15 7/8 in x 11 3/4 in x 1 5/16 in; 40.3225 cm x 29.845 cm x 3.33375 cm
- hands: 9 1/2 in x 8 3/8 in x 1 1/16 in; 24.13 cm x 21.2725 cm x 2.68122 cm
- overall: wt 95 oz
- ID Number
- 2005.0233.0348
- accession number
- 2005.0233
- catalog number
- 2005.0233.0348
- Credit Line
- Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
- subject
- Insurance
- See more items in
- Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
- Cultures & Communities
- Advertising
- Work
- Firefighting Collection
- Fire Marks
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.
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.
Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.
