Jack Robrecht Collection of Firefighting Photographs
name: label: Collector
content: Robrecht, Jack
topic: label: Topic
content: Fire stations
label: Topic
content: Fire engines
label: Topic
content: Firefighters
label: Topic
content: Fire departments -- Pennsylvania
label: Topic
content: Fire departments -- Maryland
label: Topic
content: Fire extinction
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated by CIGNA through Roxanne Korostowski, Director, Relocation Services on August 19, 2005.
creator: label: Collector
content: Robrecht, Jack
setName: label: See more items in
content: Jack Robrecht Collection of Firefighting Photographs
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Jack Robrecht (1916?-1993) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from St. Joseph's Prep and attended the University of Pennsylvania.  Robrecht worked for thirty-one years at the chemical testing laboratory of Atlantic Refinery.  He retired in 1978.  Robrecht always wanted to be a firefighter, but missed qualifying due to the age limit. Undeterred, Robrecht spent much of his life from 1941-1993 as a volunteer historian for the Philadelphia Fire Department. He was also a collector, author, and photographer of fire-related materials.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.5 Cubic feet (6 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
phystech: label: Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
content: Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs, negatives, and slides.
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1852 - 1983
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Collection transferred from the Division of Home and Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) to the Archives Center in 2011.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1231
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Postcards
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into three series. 

Series 1, Photographs, 1880-1972

Series 2, Research Files, 1852-1983

Series 3, Publications, [1859?]-1975
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by NMAH staff, 2011.
bibliography: label: Bibliography
content: Wallace, Andy. "John Robrecht, 76, Friend to Firefighters." (July 29, 1993), http://articles.philly.com/1993-07-29/news/25977190_1_firefighting-philadelphia-fire-department-trucks-and-chiefs (accessed on July 5, 2012).
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Postcards
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- 1900-1950
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection contains primarily photographs and postcards relating to firefighting. Many of the photographs are of firefighting vehicles and apparatus, both horse-drawn and gasoline-powered. The cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore are especially well documented, though other cities are represented, including Hamilton, Ohio; Camden, New Jersey; Dallas, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Portland, Maine; New Orleans, Louisiana; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Newburyport, Massachusetts; and Flemington, New Jersey. 

Series 1, Photographs, consists primarily of black-and-white and color, both original and copy prints, illustrations, and postcards depicting images of fire engines, firefighters, fireboats, fire stations, and firemen and fire equipment in parades.  The photographs are arranged in numerical order (for example, JR-2) as assigned by Jack Robrecht, who assembled the materials.  The other number system included the designation "V 408." This alpha-numeric number was applied by the Cigna Museum which held the materials prior to their donation to the National Museum of American History.  Many of the images are heavily annotated by Robrecht, providing specific details about a fire engine, geographic location, and date. There are some membership cards,  envelopes, and a Christmas card depicting images of fire equipment.  Two inventories for the photographs are available.  The inventories provide an object/photograph number, artist/photographer, title/caption, genre/classification, date and dimensions.  

Series 2, Research Files, 1852-1983, consists almost exclusively of handwritten and typescript photocopies of fire-related documentation assembled by Robrecht.  Included are sheet music, lists of statistics for fire alarms, inventories of equipment in parades, newspaper clippings, and an ink sketch of a fire ladder. 

Series 3, Publications, [1859?]-1975, consists of original and photocopies of  various fire-related publications. The only non fire-related publication is The Grace Log, a publication of Grace Line.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Fires and firefighting (series), circa 1821-1955. (AC0060)

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Fires and firefighting: stereographs, ca. 1875-1888. (AC0060)

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Inventions: stereographs, 1880s. (AC0060)

Underwood & Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, [Fire-fighters working water pump: Active no. 1810. photonegative] 1926. (AC0143)

Underwood & Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, [Fire fighters in action.] 2031 photonegative. (AC0143)

Frank Seymour Firefighting Ephemera Collection (AC1232)

Materials at the Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History

The Division of Home and Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds fire-related artifacts.  See Accession numbers 2005.0233; 2005.0279; 2006.0247; 2007.0160; and 2007.0174.