ON DISPLAY

Romance of Firefighting

Depicting Proud Volunteers

Volunteer firemen protected the life and property of New Yorkers and were important members of the City. They had a tough job and were always at the ready. With no horses or motors, volunteer firemen depended on their muscle to pull apparatus to a fire. Volunteer companies were also social groups and members often visited one another to show off their apparatus and uniforms. Volunteers fighting fires and partaking in social events are depicted in the paintings and illustrations displayed on the Museum’s second floor. These pieces are works of art as well as documentation of the “romance of firefighting.”

Framed documents and works of art, from portraits of firemen to prints of fire companies racing to fires, illustrate firefighting in the volunteer period.

Presented to New York Firefighters by the Sons of Italy Lodge 2702, this statue depicts an iconic image of the volunteer period – a fireman holding a rescued child – seen on certificates and art from the era characterizing the heroism displayed by firemen.

This silver service set was presented to the President of the Firemen’s Charitable Association of New Orleans on the occasion of his retirement in 1872. It is elaborately engraved and decorated with symbols of the volunteer department.

Prints, paintings, and certificates from exempt and veteran associations highlight the fraternal and social aspects of the volunteer period, which continued into the paid department.

This case features typical lighting used by firefighters during the volunteer period, including a hand lantern, an ornamented apparatus lamp, and a hand carried parade torch.

EXHIBITIONS ON DISPLAY