Fire Badge "Houston"
date: label: date made
content: late 19th century
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: This silver plated shield-shaped fire badge was made for a member of the Houston Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 in Houston, Texas. There is an empty plaque at the bottom of the badge, which usually would contain a badge number. The lack of badge number may mean it was never worn. The badge is topped by a hook and ladder truck. A banner at the top of the shield reads “HOUSTON.” The center of the badge bears a large number “1” with two hooks and two ladders crossed behind it. Houston’s volunteer Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was founded in 1858, and became part of Houston’s paid municipal department in 1895. The badge would likely date to that era.
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
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: 2005.0233.1311
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.1311
objectType: label: Object Name
content: badge, fireman's
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/4 in x 1 3/4 in; 5.715 cm x 4.445 cm