America Hose Company Cape
date: label: date made
content: ca 1840-1850
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: Some early American firefighters wore capes for protection, ornamentation, and identification. The stiff oil cloth protected their shoulders and upper body against fiery embers and water, and the decorative painting served to identify company members at chaotic fire scenes or on parade. The capes were often painted by local sign painters, some skilled artists like John A. Woodside, who also painted the company’s hats and banners and decorated their fire engines. Many of the capes in the firefighting collection display patriotic names and symbolism, reflecting themes important to 19th century volunteers, as well as the pride they felt in the early founding date of their fire company.
label: Description
content: This oil cloth cape is painted maroon with gold trim. The center of the cape has gold letters that read “America Hose” with a golden “A” (for America) on each shoulder. America was a common name among fire companies, making it difficult to determine which company this cape, painted burgundy with yellow lettering, belonged. Companies often chose monikers such as America, Eagle, Columbia, Washington, and United States to link their company with patriotic values of a still young republic. Hose companies began to form the first decades of the 19th century, with the creation of municipal water systems and developments in hose design that made the equipment more functional and essential in fighting fires in larger cities. Hose companies were responsible for maintaining the leather hoses, transporting and working them at fires. The hose allowed firemen to quickly bring water to a blaze from a distance, as well as the ability to put more water directly on the conflagration.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
topic: label: Subject
content: Fire Fighting
label: Subject
content: Fraternal Associations
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Work
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content: Firefighting Collection
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content: Firefighting Capes
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content: Art
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: McCosker, M.J.. The Historical Collection of the Insurance Company of North America
label: Related Publication
content: McCosker, M.J.. The Historical Collection of Insurance Company of North America
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: 2005.0233.0120
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0120
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cape, fire uniform
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: oil cloth (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 25 in x 43 1/2 in; 63.5 cm x 110.49 cm