Americana



Ca. 1900 Fire Department, Large Sepia Photograph  

Large sepia photograph depicting members of an unidentified American Fire Department, c. 1890-1910. The glossy albumen print is mounted on beveled edged stock, and in turn laid on a cream-colored mat. The mat is pencil signed "C.C. Ellis" and inscribed "#924" verso. With isolated surface foxing found in the lower left corner, and heavily toned mat, else near fine. The photograph measures 15.25" x 12.5" while the mat measures 18.5" x 15.75" overall.  

Fourteen male firefighters are shown standing and seated in two rows. Their dress uniform was comprised of flat-topped caps, white bow ties, black tunics with double-breasted shield form bibs, badges, white gloves, and over-sized belt buckles emblazoned "WFD." The bibs, badges, and caps are marked with a "1," probably designating the specific firefighting company. These firefighters were likely volunteers, for, although most elements of their uniforms match, their dark trousers and shoes are non-standard issue. The formal portrait was taken in a photographer's studio, as evidenced by the trompe-l'oeil backdrop.  

Fire was a huge concern of the earliest American colonists. Fire wardens enforced building codes (no thatched rooves or wooden chimneys), and "Rattle Watches" raised the alarm. At first, firefighting was comprised of little else than bucket brigades, but as technology improved and settlements grew bigger, crews started using horse-drawn water tanks complete with pressurized water hoses. In the early nineteenth century, insurance companies typically hired firefighting crews to stop the spread of costly fires, yet local governments started forming their own fire departments around the mid-nineteenth century. This photograph reflects the growing professionalization of firefighting.  


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