While leather buckets were generally quite durable, they were still susceptible to rot. After Charles Goodyear discovered the rubber vulcanizing process in 1839, many firefighting companies switched from leather to rubber buckets. While natural rubber deforms when warm and turns brittle when cold, vulcanized rubber (which has been cured using high heat and the addition of sulfur) is durable, smooth, and resistant to chemical attack. Vulcanization technology made rubber a practical and widely usable material. The turn of the century, when rubber buckets were in greatest use, was a transitional period between the old leather buckets and twentieth-century metal buckets. This bucket, made of rubberized canvas and manufactured by the Goodyear Rubber Company of New York, is an example of a bucket from this period.
This ribbon belonged to a member of the Lawson Hose Company No. 5 Veteran’s Association of Newburgh, New York. The ribbon is made of red, white, and blue vertical stripes, with a golden tassel at the bottom. The top of the ribbon is decorated with an image of a silver embossed hose reel. The ribbon bears the text in silver lettering, "LAWSON / HOSE COMPANY / NO. 5 / VETERAN ASS'N, / NEWBURGH N.Y."
The Lawson Hose Company No. 5 was established in 1871 after the Cataract Engine Company disbanded, and likely operated until the establishment of the paid Newburgh department in 1934. Veteran associations were formed after the introduction of paid municipal fire companies to sustain the fraternity and camaraderie that existed among volunteer firefighters.
This bucket belonged to a member of the Jefferson Fire Society, which was founded in 1807 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The image on this bucket is essentially identical to that painted on G12: an eagle, clutching its traditional arrows and olive branch, is backed by a sunburst. Though bucket G12 was from a different fire society than this bucket, it was from the same town in Massachusetts, suggesting that this particular design was the convention among all volunteer firefighters in the area. It is possible that the two buckets were even painted by the same artist. Here, the eagle appears in a crouched position, as opposed to the displayed position on the Great Seal, making the bird appear lifelike and dangerous. The rays of the sun poking through the large cloud behind the eagle may symbolize rebirth and regeneration, or greatness and eternal glory.
This Vigilant Engine Company No. 2 ribbon was made by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey around 1893. The ribbon hangs from a pin with the word “VIGILANTS” in black text on a white background, framed by bronze-colored metal. The red, white, and blue colored ribbon supports a small circular medallion with the painted image of a fireman wearing a fire helmet and the text “PAT. W.&H. CO NEWARK, N.J.”
The ribbon itself is decorated with the image of a silver bust of George Washington. The badge reads “ENGINE CO., NO. 2,/DOVER, N.J./WASHINGTON/FIRE CO., No. 1,/WASHINGTON, N.J./OCT. 4th, 1893” in silver text. The Vigilant Engine Company No. 2 was formed when Dover purchased its second steam engine in 1885. Ribbons like this one commemorated occasions when fire companies visited each other to celebrate their common bond and engage in some friendly competition.
This white and red ribbon has a brass pin and rings at the top. It was designed to be worn as a badge by a member of the Phoenix Silk Manufacturing Company’s Reception Committee. The upper section of the ribbon has a metal ornamentation of two crossed American flags on poles, topped by a spread-winged eagle and a banner above its head that reads “RECPTN. COM.” The ribbon has a red strand that reads “PHOENIX/SILK M’F’G CO.” in gold, and a white strand that reads “EMPLOYEES/PATERSON N.J.” The water power supplied by the Great Passaic Falls made Paterson an attractive city for manufacturing, and the Phoenix Manufacturing Company began operating in Paterson in 1824. In 1892 it changed its name to the Phoenix Silk Manufacturing Company, under which it operated until the 1910s.
In 1857, Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives became business partners and set out to produce popular, affordable decorative prints for American consumers. In the 1880s, Currier & Ives produced the "Darktown Comics" series of color lithographs, which would become one of their best-selling lines. Each of these depicted African Americans as racist caricatures and ugly stereotypes, and presented scenes where the humor, such as it was, derived from their buffoonish antics and "putting on airs.” These color lithographs were primarily created by John Cameron (1828-1906) and Thomas Worth (1834-1917), two artists employed by Currier & Ives. They drew on a broad visual vocabulary of anti-black racist tropes that had developed over the 19th century, derogatory signifiers that would have been understood and shared by their popular audience, who created a demand for similar imagery in numerous other commercial and decorative objects of the time. Cameron and Worth often set hapless black figures in traditionally white roles, such as firefighting, and the ridiculous failures they depicted helped to reinforce entrenched racial and social hierarchies, as well as to perpetuate the notions of heroism and leadership as white male prerogatives in the period after Reconstruction. When Currier & Ives shut down operations in 1907, New York City printer Joseph Koehler purchased the lithographic stones of the "Darktown Comics" series from the firm and produced restrikes under his own name for several more years.
This color lithograph – “The Darktown Hook and Ladder Corps” – depicts a ladder company headed to a fire. The ladder truck is rickety and pulled by a white mule, assisted by grandstanding firefighters. Spectators wave from the side of the road. This version is a restrike produced by Joseph Koehler after 1907.
This souvenir badge from the 1897 Pennsylvania State Firemen’s Convention in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania was manufactured by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. The badge consists of a silver pin hanging from a blue ribbon. Silver stitching on the ribbon reads “SOUVENIR.” Hanging from the ribbon is a circular medal featuring a photograph of George J. Stegmaier, Chief of the Wilkes-Barre Fire Department on one side, with the text “CHIEF OF WILKES BARRE FIRE DEPT” at the top of the badge. The other side of the badge has a painted image of a fireman rescuing a baby from a burning building with the text “STATE FIREMEN’S CONVENTION OCT. 4-9/WILKES-BARRE, PA., 1897.”
This ribbon commemorating the seventh annual Excursion of Washington Engine Company No. 1 of Morristown, New Jersey to Paterson, New Jersey was made by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey in 1898. The tan ribbon has a gilt metal pin at the top, and a circular metal photo of a steam engine embedded in the center of the ribbon. The ribbon is embossed with gold letters that read “MEMBER/7th ANNUAL EXCURSION/OF/WASHINGTON/ENGINE COMPANY, NO. 1,/OF/MORRISTOWN, N.J./TO/PATERSON, N.J./OCTOBER 4, 1898. The Washington Engine Company No. 1 was founded in 1867 and reorganized in 1872. It purchased an American steam engine in 1895, likely the engine depicted in the photograph. Fire companies would often took excursions to visit other companies to celebrate their common bond and engage in some friendly competition. They commemorated these trips with ribbons, medals, trumpets, and trophies.
This red ribbon badge was made by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey in 1894. The ribbon is decorated with a golden image of a steam fire engine pulled by two horses, and has golden tassels at its bottom. The ribbon reads “SEPT. 13, 1894./A. C. LANING/ NO. 2,/Steamer Company,/W-B. F. D.” in printed gold text.
Augustus C. Laning (1808–1875) was a prominent businessman in Wilkes-Barre as the owner of an iron foundry and a machine shop. Laning provided the city with its first steam fire engine in 1870, and when the city purchased its second engine in 1874, it was named the A. C. Laning. While the reason for this ribbon’s creation is not known, it is interesting to note that Augustus C. Laning’s grandson, also named Augustus C. Laning, was married one week later, September 20, 1894, in Wilkes-Barre.
In 1857, Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives became business partners and set out to produce popular, affordable decorative prints for American consumers. In the 1880s, Currier & Ives produced the "Darktown Comics" series of color lithographs, which would become one of their best-selling lines. Each of these depicted African Americans as racist caricatures and ugly stereotypes, and presented scenes where the humor, such as it was, derived from their buffoonish antics and "putting on airs.” These color lithographs were primarily created by John Cameron (1828-1906) and Thomas Worth (1834-1917), two artists employed by Currier & Ives. They drew on a broad visual vocabulary of anti-black racist tropes that had developed over the 19th century, derogatory signifiers that would have been understood and shared by their popular audience, who created a demand for similar imagery in numerous other commercial and decorative objects of the time. Cameron and Worth often set hapless black figures in traditionally white roles, such as firefighting, and the ridiculous failures they depicted helped to reinforce entrenched racial and social hierarchies, as well as to perpetuate the notions of heroism and leadership as white male prerogatives in the period after Reconstruction. When Currier & Ives shut down operations in 1907, New York City printer Joseph Koehler purchased the lithographic stones of the "Darktown Comics" series from the firm and produced restrikes under his own name for several more years.
This color lithograph – “The Last Shake” – depicts a fire company (“Niagara”) engaged in a contest to throw water high enough to reach a liberty cap atop a pole, but the effort ends in chaos. Their old-fashioned fire pumper is broken, the firefighters are thrown in all directions, and the spectators are running away. It is paired with a second scene entitled “The Last Shake.” The print is a racist parody of the common practice of fire companies in American towns and cities to mark holidays with parades and contests, including pumping challenges. This version is an original lithograph produced by Currier & Ives.
This leather bucket features scroll work and lettering that reads “North Troy.” This may refer to the community of North Troy, Vermont. The town of Troy was chartered in 1801, and in 1803, its name was changed from the Abenaki Indian “Missisquoi,” to Troy. Because of its nearness to Canada, this area had a large number of French Canadian immigrants. The early settlers of North Troy were described in a 1966 Vermont Guide as “a high-spirited, reckless lot with a strong love for excitement.” North Troy, a small village in the northern part of the town, was incorporated in 1876. A series of disastrous fires destroyed much of North Troy. For example, a fire in 1868 consumed the town store, hotel, a grocery, and two barns.
By 1868, a number of American cities had acquired steam engines for their fire departments (the first successful American steamer was built in Cincinnati in 1852). Steam engines could pump more water in a shorter amount of time, and required less manpower than the old hand-pumped engines. Many cities were also transitioning from volunteer to professional firefighting during this time period. New York, for example, got a paid fire department in 1865. Running a steam engine required specialized expertise, not just the strength and endurance that communities valued in their volunteer firefighters. The new paid departments were guided by the principle of efficiency. A small community like North Troy, however, would not have been able to afford the latest firefighting technology, and in all likelihood would not yet have established a paid fire department when it was ravaged by fire in 1868.
In 1857, Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives became business partners and set out to produce popular, affordable decorative prints for American consumers. In the 1880s, Currier & Ives produced the "Darktown Comics" series of color lithographs, which would become one of their best-selling lines. Each of these depicted African Americans as racist caricatures and ugly stereotypes, and presented scenes where the humor, such as it was, derived from their buffoonish antics and "putting on airs.” These color lithographs were primarily created by John Cameron (1828-1906) and Thomas Worth (1834-1917), two artists employed by Currier & Ives. They drew on a broad visual vocabulary of anti-black racist tropes that had developed over the 19th century, derogatory signifiers that would have been understood and shared by their popular audience, who created a demand for similar imagery in numerous other commercial and decorative objects of the time. Cameron and Worth often set hapless black figures in traditionally white roles, such as firefighting, and the ridiculous failures they depicted helped to reinforce entrenched racial and social hierarchies, as well as to perpetuate the notions of heroism and leadership as white male prerogatives in the period after Reconstruction. When Currier & Ives shut down operations in 1907, New York City printer Joseph Koehler purchased the lithographic stones of the "Darktown Comics" series from the firm and produced restrikes under his own name for several more years.
This color lithograph – “A Prize Squirt” – depicts a fire company (“Niagara”) engaged in a contest to throw water high enough to reach a liberty cap atop a pole. A group of spectators looks on and one man, dressed somewhat like Uncle Sam, holds a trophy, engraved “Prize Mug.” The fire pumper depicted is intentionally old-fashioned and shoddy, and the firefighters must stand on a board and sawhorses in order to operate it. It is paired with a second scene entitled “The Last Shake.” The print is a racist parody of the common practice of fire companies in American towns and cities to mark holidays with parades and contests, including pumping challenges. This version is an original lithograph produced by Currier & Ives.
In 1857, Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives became business partners and set out to produce popular, affordable decorative prints for American consumers. In the 1880s, Currier & Ives produced the "Darktown Comics" series of color lithographs, which would become one of their best-selling lines. Each of these depicted African Americans as racist caricatures and ugly stereotypes, and presented scenes where the humor, such as it was, derived from their buffoonish antics and "putting on airs.” These color lithographs were primarily created by John Cameron (1828-1906) and Thomas Worth (1834-1917), two artists employed by Currier & Ives. They drew on a broad visual vocabulary of anti-black racist tropes that had developed over the 19th century, derogatory signifiers that would have been understood and shared by their popular audience, who created a demand for similar imagery in numerous other commercial and decorative objects of the time. Cameron and Worth often set hapless black figures in traditionally white roles, such as firefighting, and the ridiculous failures they depicted helped to reinforce entrenched racial and social hierarchies, as well as to perpetuate the notions of heroism and leadership as white male prerogatives in the period after Reconstruction. When Currier & Ives shut down operations in 1907, New York City printer Joseph Koehler purchased the lithographic stones of the "Darktown Comics" series from the firm and produced restrikes under his own name for several more years.
This color lithograph – “The Last Shake” – depicts a fire company (“Niagara”) engaged in a contest to throw water high enough to reach a liberty cap atop a pole, but the effort ends in chaos. Their old-fashioned fire pumper is broken, the firefighters are thrown in all directions, and the spectators are running away. It is paired with a second scene entitled “The Last Shake.” The print is a racist parody of the common practice of fire companies in American towns and cities to mark holidays with parades and contests, including pumping challenges. This version is a restrike produced by Joseph Koehler after 1907.
The red ribbon badge belonged to a delegate to the 18th annual convention of the New Jersey Exempt Firemen’s Association in Englewood, New Jersey on May 18, 1904. While organizations for exempt firemen (those with five years of volunteer service) had existed in prior to 1889, an act of the New Jersey legislature in 1889 provided for the incorporation of local exempt associations and the formation of a state association of exempt firemen. It also established an annual state convention in May for which five delegates would be selected from each local association to represent their chapter in any voting matters.
This badge would have belonged to such a delegate. The ribbon has an upper pin behind a bronze-colored metal frame holding a paper insert that reads “DELEGATE” in black on a white background. A circular painted image depicts a fireman with trumpet, flanked by a hook and ladder cart and a steam engine in a bronze frame hanging from a blue ribbon anchored to the frame. The red ribbon reads “18th ANNUAL/CONVENTION/NEW JERSEY/EXEMPT FIREMEN’S/ASSOCIATION/ENGLEWOOD, N.J./MAY 18, 1904” in gold text.
This marker was used by the Franklin Fire Company of Chester, Pennsylvania. The company was founded on November 20, 1867 and incorporated February 22, 1869. Franklin was Chester's first fire company, located on Mary St. and Concord Ave. The marker consists of a round central portion whose rim is made of a hose, a crossed hook and ladder in the middle and a fire helmet flanked by a firefighter’s speaking trumpet and axe. A banner in the center bears the text “F CO 1.” The top arc reads “FRANKLIN” and the bottom arc “CHESTER PA.” The lack of holes for attachment to an engine points to this marker not being an engine plate, but rather a grave marker or flag holder.
This badge likely belonged to a member of Hose Company No. 4 located in Baldwin, New York. The badge takes the form of a twisted hose with nozzle in the shape of a figure 8, with a fire helmet at its start. The hose reads “BALDWIN HOSE 4” in raised letters. This badge was likely a decorative pin worn on a lapel.
In 1857, Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives became business partners and set out to produce popular, affordable decorative prints for American consumers. In the 1880s, Currier & Ives produced the "Darktown Comics" series of color lithographs, which would become one of their best-selling lines. Each of these depicted African Americans as racist caricatures and ugly stereotypes, and presented scenes where the humor, such as it was, derived from their buffoonish antics and "putting on airs.” These color lithographs were primarily created by John Cameron (1828-1906) and Thomas Worth (1834-1917), two artists employed by Currier & Ives. They drew on a broad visual vocabulary of anti-black racist tropes that had developed over the 19th century, derogatory signifiers that would have been understood and shared by their popular audience, who created a demand for similar imagery in numerous other commercial and decorative objects of the time. Cameron and Worth often set hapless black figures in traditionally white roles, such as firefighting, and the ridiculous failures they depicted helped to reinforce entrenched racial and social hierarchies, as well as to perpetuate the notions of heroism and leadership as white male prerogatives in the period after Reconstruction. When Currier & Ives shut down operations in 1907, New York City printer Joseph Koehler purchased the lithographic stones of the "Darktown Comics" series from the firm and produced restrikes under his own name for several more years.
This color lithograph – “A Prize Squirt” – depicts a fire company (“Niagara”) engaged in a contest to throw water high enough to reach a liberty cap atop a pole. A group of spectators looks on and one man, dressed somewhat like Uncle Sam, holds a trophy, engraved “Prize Mug.” The fire pumper depicted is intentionally old-fashioned and shoddy, and the firefighters must stand on a board and sawhorses in order to operate it. It is paired with a second scene entitled “The Last Shake.” The print is a racist parody of the common practice of fire companies in American towns and cities to mark holidays with parades and contests, including pumping challenges. This version is a restrike produced by Joseph Koehler after 1907.