CHICAGO FIRE EXTINGUISHER MANUFACTURING CO. PHOTOGRAPHIC TRADE ALBUM
19th Century
Exhaustive catalog documenting firefighting equipment used during the waning days of the horse-drawn fire truck era, with photographs of various fire pumps, hook and ladder trucks, fire extinguishers, fire grenades, water nozzles, etc., and two blueprints showing the inner workings of a carbonic acid chemical engine pump and extinguisher. Probably a unique prototype to hold all of the original photographs taken of the companyís inventory.

Original cloth-covered album with "Fire Extinguisher M'F'G. Co. Chicago" in gilt lettering on the front cover, as well as a silver metal plaque engraved "E.F. Steck, Sup't", the superintendent of the company. Marked "No. 1" in blue grease pencil on the inside front board. The cover can be removed by unscrewing the stainless steel binding, allowing the addition, removal or reordering of the photographs.

Includes 129 albumen or early silver bromide original photographs and the blueprints; additional photographs that did not fit in the album are included in a paper wrap. Most of the images are uncredited, though about six have the photographer's stamps on the back. The photographs are large and sharp, probably taken with an 11 x 14 view camera, and are most likely contact prints rather than enlargements. Given the sharpness of the images, minute details, such as handwritten text painted on the equipment, are visible under magnification.

Photographs depict an array of trucks and apparatus, including several views of the same product, used by fire companies from across the country including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oregon. While the majority of the images show unmanned trucks and apparatus against a white canvas background, there are some photographs taken on the street in front of fire stations or with firefighters to show scale or in action shots, notably one image depicting nine men on a ladder reaching to the top of a five-story building and firefighters shooting water at smoldering buildings. A few images capture civilians, usually on the periphery or looking out windows. The first 80 photographs in the album have red and white number labels on the reverse. The following 27 photographs are not numbered but are titled and listed by the manufacturer's style type; there are 13 styles and between one and three photographs of each style. The next 20 photographs feature a variety of apparatus and the last two depict fire extinguisher products.
Album 2.5" x 15.5" x 11.5". Photographs 13.75" x 11".
Reference:
The Evolution of Aerial Fire Apparatus by Walter M.P. McCall (Hudson, Wisconsin: Icongrafix, 2009), p. 9 states "In 1884, Ernst F. Steck - inventor of the Steck monitor nozzle and Champion water tower and at the same time superintendent of the Fire Extinguisher Mfg. Co. of Chicago, successor to the Babcock Mfg. Co., was issued a patent for an aerial ladder design under the well-known Babcock name." Given this background and expertise it is not surprising that this unique photo album was assembled and owned by E.F. Steck.

Notes:
The Fire Extinguisher Manufacturing Company was a parent company composed of a number of subsidiaries, such as the Northampton Fire Extinguisher Co. of Northampton, Massachusetts, the Protective Annihilator Co. of New York, and the North American Fire Annihilator Co. of Philadelphia. After being locked out of a license to produce chemical engine fire apparatuses, it cleverly discovered and then purchased a quarter interest in the technology from the heirs of a forgotten partial patent holder.

Most of the photographs have rich tones but some show fading. The album boards have been reattached and one set of metal binder hardware has been replaced. The front and rear boards are original and show age with a few minor imperfections.

The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their
age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction.