Fire Badge "The Fire Department of the City of Brooklyn"
date: label: date made
content: early 20th century
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: This circular brass fire badge has a stippled background. An inscription around the rim reads “THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN.” The center of the badge has upper and lower banners that read “No. 84/FIREMAN.” The badge was issued after the City of Brooklyn was incorporated in 1834 but before Brooklyn merged with Williamsburg in 1855, when the fire department was divided into eastern and western districts. These separate Brooklyn Eastern and Western District fire department badges can be seen in object 2005.0233.1326 and 2005.0233.1371. The number “84” is likely assigned to the badge wearer, and does not refer to the company.
label: Description
content: Metal firefighter’s badges were a part of the firefighter’s uniform since volunteer companies began to proliferate in the early 19th century. As volunteer companies gave way to municipal fire departments during the mid–19th century, these badges became mandated by uniform codes. Badges served as official identification at fire scenes, as access to derelict buildings by unscrupulous citizens could result in looting. Fire badges came in a variety of shapes, most notably circular, shield–shaped, or the Maltese cross. While shield–shaped badges were often worn on the chest, circular and cross-shaped badges can be seen on jacket lapels or soft caps. Badges usually detailed the company’s name, number and department, and were often decorated with various symbols of the profession such as hose carriages, hand–pumped engines, hoses, trumpets, helmets, hooks, and ladders. For paid municipal companies, many badges also featured the badge number of the wearer.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
label: associated place
content: United States: New York, Brooklyn
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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content: Work
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content: Firefighting Collection
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content: Fire Badges
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0233.1266
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.1266
objectType: label: Object Name
content: badge, fireman's
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 5/8 in; 6.6675 cm