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Fire Engine Plate, "John Agnew, Builder"
From the collection of National Museum of American History. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
At the core of any fire company is the apparatus used to fight fires and protect lives. This was particularly true of for the volunteer fire fighters in 19th century America. Often purchased with their own funds, their fire engines were the focus of their pride and affection, as well as their identities as fire fighters. Engine plates, often made of brass, would be prominently affixed to engines and inscribed with the company name, number, and founding date. Engine plates could pass from old engine to new, or be kept in the firehouse as a memorial to a departed apparatus.
National Museum of American History’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineFire Engine Plate, "John Agnew, Builder". 1850. unknown. National Museum of American History, Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection. CC0.
