As more American volunteer fire fighting companies began to form during the late 18th century, a need emerged for better organized efforts in combating conflagrations. Engineers and officers would use “speaking trumpets” to amplify their voices over the noise and commotion of a fire scene to direct the company in effectively fighting the blaze. Two trumpet variants are reflected in the collection: plain and functional “working” trumpets that were actively used at fires, and highly decorated “presentation” trumpets. Presentation trumpets were awarded to firefighters in honor of their service, or between fire companies during visits, competitions, and musters.
This brass trumpet was presented to Henry K. Woodruff by the Independence Hose Company of New York in 1862. The trumpet is divided into three sections with two rings that allow for a cord to be attached. The trumpet bears an inscription that reads “Presented by Independence Hose Company, No. 3, New York, to Foreman Henry K. Woodruff 1862.” The Independence Hose Company No. 3 was organized on November 19, 1832. Woodruff was the foreman of the Independence Hose Company from 1862 until the company disbanded in 1865.
In the nineteenth century, volunteer fire companies often commissioned paintings to decorate their hand-pumped fire engines for parades, competitions, and community events. Sometimes framed with elaborate carvings, they adorned the tall air chamber located at the middle or rear of a pumper. The paintings would often feature patriotic, heroic, or allegorical images to associate the volunteer companies with these lofty ideals.
This painting belonged to the Eagle Fire Engine Company No. 13 of New York, New York that was active from 1783 to 1865. The oil painting was created by an unknown artist around 1863. The painting is a full-length portrait of Chief Engineer Harry Howard. Howard is holding a speaking trumpet and resting his hand on a table that bears his work helmet. Upon his death in 1896, Howard was the last surviving Chief Engineer of the Volunteer Fire Department of New York City. A great supporter for the paid Metropolitan Fire Department established in 1865, Howard advocated for pay raises for firemen, the establishment of a firefighter’s retirement home, and gave $1,000 to the exempt firemen’s burial fund. This painting and its companion (2005.0233.0310) would have adorned either side of the company’s engine.
The traditional American leather firefighter’s helmet with its distinctive long rear brim, frontpiece, and crest adornment was first developed around 1821-1836 in New York City. Henry T. Gratacap, a New York City luggage maker by trade, is often credited as the developer of this style of fire helmet. Gratacap created a specially treated leather helmet with a segmented “comb” design that led to unparalleled durability and strength. The elongated rear brim (also known as a duckbill or beavertail) and frontpiece were 19th century innovations that remain the most identifiable feature of firefighter’s helmets. The body of the helmet was primarily designed to deflect falling debris, the rear brim prevented water from running down firefighters’ backs, and their sturdy crowns could aid, if necessary, in breaking windows.
This leather fire helmet was manufactured by Cairns & Brother of New York, New York in the late 19th century. The 16 comb hat is painted black overall, with ivy vine scroll work stamped around the brim, and a two hoses flanking an inset metal frontpiece on the back of the brim. There is a metal frontpiece holder in the form of the fireman with a speaking trumpet to his mouth. The frontpiece is black leather with a red background and white lettering. The frontpiece reads “LIBERTY/7” in white leather and is signed “Daniel Gregory/Paterson, NJ” in the center. Gregory served as a member of several different Paterson Fire Companies, and was an officer in the Exempt Association of Paterson.
The traditional American leather firefighter’s helmet with its distinctive long rear brim, frontpiece, and crest adornment was first developed around 1821-1836 in New York City. Henry T. Gratacap, a New York City luggage maker by trade, is often credited as the developer of this style of fire helmet. Gratacap created a specially treated leather helmet with a segmented “comb” design that led to unparalleled durability and strength. The elongated rear brim (also known as a duckbill or beavertail) and frontpiece were 19th century innovations that remain the most identifiable feature of firefighter’s helmets. The body of the helmet was primarily designed to deflect falling debris, the rear brim prevented water from running down firefighters’ backs, and their sturdy crowns could aid, if necessary, in breaking windows.
This leather helmet was made by Cairns & Brother of New York, New York in the late 19th century. The helmet is painted white overall, with 16 combs, the four main combs are painted gold. An ivy-vine scrollwork pattern is stamped around the brim of the helmet, and the edge of the helmet is painted gold. The rear brim has a design of crossed hooks and ladders surrounded by a hose and trumpets, with an inset metal frontpiece that bears the inscription “J. McNally by Senate H & L Co. 1, Sing Sing, July 1886.” A metal eagle’s head mounted to the crown of the helmet serves as a frontpiece holder. The crudely-rendered frontpiece reads “CHEIF (sic) ENGINEER/C.F.D.” with a painting of a goose neck, piano-style hand-pump engine in the center. The frontpiece may not be original to the helmet.
Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church
maker
Currier, Nathaniel
ID Number
DL.60.2929
catalog number
60.2929
accession number
228146
Description
This black and white print is of a life membership to a Mr. Philip J.A. Harper issued by the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Society, begun in 1820 and headquartered in New York City, was among the earliest organizations that focused on mission within and outside the United States. It initially worked to convert Native Americans and slaves before extending its activities to inhabitants of West Africa and elsewhere overseas.
A vignette depicting missionary activity appears above the text that was inspired by the Society’s proselytizing during the 19th Century. On the right side is a depiction of Native Americans and Africans who were “saved” due to the preaching of a missionary. The left side shows the damnation that comes to those who fail to hear God’s word. Above the scene floats a triumphant angel sent by God who is blowing a trumpet, Bible in hand.
This print was produced by Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888). Currier was the founder of the company that eventually became the Currier & Ives lithography firm. At the age of fifteen Currier apprenticed with the Pendleton lithography firm in New York City. Five years later he moved to Philadelphia to work with the lithographer M.E.D. Brown (1810-1896). After a year Currier moved back to New York, where he intended on going into business with one of the Pendleton brothers. Instead he formed a partnership in 1834 with Adam Stodart who was in the sheet music business. Within a year he opened his own lithography company on Wall Street and then moved to Nassau and Spruce. In 1852 a bookkeeper named James Merritt Ives joined the firm. He married Charles Currier’s sister-in-law and brought to the firm a critical eye and business acumen. In five years he had become a partner. Currier & Ives would become arguably the most successful and prodigious lithography firm of the 19th century. Although especially well known for prints celebrating American landscapes and pastimes like sailing and ice skating, Currier & Ives also produced lithographs that featured current events, social issues and political controversies
Swan-shaped ear trumpet made of metal with an ivory tip. The form was termed a London hearing dome or grand opera dome.
Ref: Charles Truax, The Mechanics of Surgery (Chicago, 1899), p. 798.
Irving Wilson Voorhees, “Mechanical Aids to Hearing” in Thomas Lathrop Steadman, ed., A Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences (New York, 1915), vol. 5, p. 45.
Swan-shaped ear trumpet made of metal with an ivory tip. The form was sometimes termed a London hearing dome and sometimes a grand opera dome.
Ref: Irving Wilson Voorhees, “Mechanical Aids to Hearing” in Thomas Lathrop Steadman, ed., A Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences (New York, 1915), vol. 5, p. 45.
A blank version of the James Gordon Bennett Medal in a leather case originally presented to a deserving firefighter of the city of New York through the Board of Trustees - T. Bailey Mason and others. The obverse of medal shows Neptune coming out of the sea on a shell, pulled by a horse, handing a key to a female figure (possibly Fame) holding a speaking trumpet and standing on a cliff edge. Her feet are surrounded by a fire hose, a bucket, a hook, and a ladder. With her left hand, which holds the trumpet, she gestures toward a steam engine pulled by horses in the far right background. Steam and/or smoke borders the right edge of the medal. A winged figure representing Fire, who holds a torch in each hand, is vanquished at the bottom below the cliffs.
The reverse of the medal is inscribed on the outer border: "ENDOWED BY A FUND CONTRIBUTED BY JAMES GORDON BENNETT." Inside this inscription is a wreath of leaves, with a crossed axe and trumpet with ribbon at the bottom. Inside is the inscription: "PRESENTED / to / [blank space] / IN APPRECIATION OF / MERITOUS PERFORMANCE / OF DUTY AS A FIREMAN / [blank space] / TRUSTEES" There are two spaces left blank for further engraving of the name of the individual to whom this medal would be presented.
The medal is in original case, made of leather and lined with green velvet. The exterior of the case is brown, and inscribed in the top in gold lettering is: "T. Bailey Meyrs. / Trustee of the Bennett Medal" A decorative gold medal band is painted around the exterior of the box.
This shield-shaped metal fire badge belonged to the Volunteer Firemens Association of New York City. The badge has a central decoration of a fire helmet with trumpet, hook, ladder, lamp, and axe arrayed in a circular pattern behind it. A spread-winged eagle is at the top of the shield, and a plaque at the bottom is inscribed with the number “500.” The Volunteer Firemens Association of New York City was founded on December 22, 1883. The Association welcomed all volunteer firemen who left their companies in good standing as members and provided a social space for them to meet as well as a burial fund to pay for their internment after passing. Other associations for volunteer firefighters—including the Exempt Firemens Association of New York—required five years of service in a volunteer company before joining.
Metal firefighter’s badges were a part of the firefighter’s uniform since volunteer companies began to proliferate in the early 19th century. As volunteer companies gave way to municipal fire departments during the mid–19th century, these badges became mandated by uniform codes. Badges served as official identification at fire scenes, as access to derelict buildings by unscrupulous citizens could result in looting. Fire badges came in a variety of shapes, most notably circular, shield–shaped, or the Maltese cross. While shield–shaped badges were often worn on the chest, circular and cross-shaped badges can be seen on jacket lapels or soft caps. Badges usually detailed the company’s name, number and department, and were often decorated with various symbols of the profession such as hose carriages, hand–pumped engines, hoses, trumpets, helmets, hooks, and ladders. For paid municipal companies, many badges also featured the badge number of the wearer.
This undated print is a reference to the so-called “Bank War” following President Andrew Jackson’s decision to remove the deposits from the Second National Bank of the United States. The print depicts Andrew Jackson in a theatrical costume, portraying Richard III in front of a crowd at the base of the US Capitol. The title of the print refers viewers to Act Four, Scene Four of the Shakespeare Play, Richard the Third. In this scene, Queen Elizabeth mourns the death of her sons at the hands of Richard III. She is devastated and enraged, and calls upon Richard’s mother and her mother in law, the Duchess of York, to curse the troubled King. The two women confront Richard, and he is enraged in his denial saying, “blow the trumpets! Sound the alarm drums! Don’t let the heavens hear these tell-tale women insulting the Lord’s anointed. Sound I say!” While Jackson greatly differed from Richard III, he was similarly manipulative and dismissive of his political wrong doings. On the right of the print, stands robed female figures representing “Liberty” and “Justice,” who are asking him where their “children… public confidence, honor, reputation, and credit” are. In Richard the Third, Richard murders the children who are supposed to be leading the country. The implication is that Jackson did the same to the aforementioned American values by removing the deposits from the Second National Bank of the United States. Jackson almost directly quotes the character of Richard when confronting “Liberty” and “Justice” stating, “A flourish trumpets strike alarm drums, let not the Heavens hear those tell tall women rail on the Lords anointed. Strike I say.” Behind Jackson stands fictional character Major Jack Downing (created by journalist Seba Smith to symbolize the common man) and Vice President Martin Van Buren both dressed in similar period garb to Jackson, perhaps filling the roles of Richard III’s friends, Ratcliffe and Catesby.
The lithographer of this print is E. Forbes. It is likely that this is artist Elisha Forbes who worked in New York City from approximately 1830 to 1846, but further information is not available at this time.
Raised, ovoid or urn-shaped bowl engraved "KPW" in conjoined foliate script inside a brightcut shield reserve suspended from a bowknot with crossed branches below. Flared or trumpet-shape pedestal is on a square base with applied sides. Applied beading at rim and at bottom of pedestal. Side of base opposite monogram is struck "Woods" in raised script in a conforming surround. Centerpoint visible on underside of body. Old, red-bordered white paper collector's label adhered to underside of pedestal.
Maker is Freeman Woods (1765-before 1834), worked in New York, NY, 1785-1794, and in New Bern, NC, 1794-1830.
Raised circular urn-shape cream pitcher with high-loop, tapered strap handle on a flared or trumpet-shaped pedestal atop a flat square base with applied sides. Front of body is engraved "RM" in conjoined foliate script. Applied beading at deeply curved rim with pouring lip and bottom of pedestal. Underside of flat base is struck in one corner "BAYLEY" in raised roman letters a stepped rectangle. Centerpunch visible.
Inverted pear-shaped creamer decorated with intertwined fuschia sprays around its shoulder and a single cast blossom on its hinged, trumpet-shaped, circular lid; engraved "M\L/K" on one side above the circular, low-domed, ruffle-edged foot. Shallow, curved pouring lip. High-loop, C-curve handle. Gilt-washed interior. Underside of flat bottom struck incuse with a stylized "M" trademark with "5.467" scratched below, "815" in roman letters, and "STERLING" in sans serif letters. From a six-piece coffee and tea service, 1980.0027.01-.06.
Maker is Marcus & Co., of New York, NY; 1892-1962 (merged with Black, Starr & Frost; founded 1810-present).
Raised circular urn-shape cream pitcher with high-loop, tapered strap handle on a flared or trumpet-shape pedestal atop a flat square base with applied sides. Front of body is engraved with a pointed shield from which spring wrigglework scrolls holding pendant swags of drapery and bright-cut leafy garlands; two crossed branches below. Applied beading at curved rim with wide pouring lip. Front side of base is struck "I•V" in raised roman letters in a wide shield, flanked by pseudo hallmarks of an eagle-in-tree motif and the letter "P", both in scalloped-top squares. Pedestal underside is scratched "oz / 7 10". No centerpunch.
