Fire Bucket, "Protection in Danger"
From the collection of National Museum of American History. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
This bucket belonged to Matthew Skilton, Jr., who lived in Burlington, Massachusetts. Burlington, a small town 13 miles northwest of Boston, was first settled in 1641 and was officially incorporated in 1799. Skilton was present at the first town meeting, held on March 11, 1799. His fire bucket features his company’s motto, “Protection in Danger,” which served as an identifying mark and articulated the company’s commitment to public service. The bucket also features a painting of an urn. Urns were a symbol associated with mourning and death, and were frequently featured on gravestones and in memorial paintings in the early decades of the nineteenth century. Here, the image of an urn may emphasize the danger and destructive nature of fire, and serves as a warning against inaction. This bucket is stamped with a maker’s mark on both sides of the seam. This mark, which appears to read “IFENNO,” may be that of John Fenno. Fenno was a well-known glazier who decorated fire buckets in Boston.
National Museum of American History’s own description
