Badge, "Life Member 25th Annual Convention State Exempt Firemen's Ass'n"
date: label: date made
content: 1911
name: label: maker
content: Whitehead & Hoag Company
notes: 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. These badges often served as official identification for firefighters 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 Maltese cross badges are seen on jacket lapels or soft caps. Badges usually detailed the company’s city, company name, and/or company number, decorated with various symbols of the profession such as hose reels, 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
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of CIGNA Museum of Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0233.1588
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.1588
objectType: label: Object Name
content: badge, commemorative
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: meta (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 3/4 in; x 4.445 cm