"Franklin & Kite" Engine Panel Painting
date: label: date made
content: ca 1835
name: label: referenced
content: Franklin, Benjamin
label: referenced
content: West, Benjamin
label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: In the nineteenth century, volunteer fire companies often commissioned paintings to decorate their hand-pumped fire engines for parades, competitions, and community events. Sometimes framed with elaborate carvings, they adorned the tall air chamber located at the middle or rear of a pumper. The paintings would often feature patriotic, heroic, or allegorical images to associate the volunteer companies with these lofty ideals.
label: Description
content: This fire engine panel painting of Benjamin Franklin is attributed to the Franklin Engine Company No.12 from Philadelphia that was active from 1792 until 1863 when it acquired a steam fire engine. It operated as a steam fire engine company until 1871 when Philadelphia’s paid firefighting department was established. The painting was completed around 1830 by an unknown artist. The painting depicts the popular story of Franklin’s kite experiment where he attempted to prove that lightning was an electrical force. Benjamin Franklin was well known for organizing the first volunteer fire company in Philadelphia, and his image and his name were popular among the city’s fire companies. By invoking Franklin, volunteer firemen linked themselves to the progenitor of their trade, as well as someone who played a key role in the American Revolution. This painting and its companion (2005.0233.0305) would have adorned either side of the company’s engine.
topic: label: classified
content: Fire Fighting
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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content: Engine Panel Paintings
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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: Art
label: Exhibition
content: The Electric Dr. Franklin
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
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: 2005.0233.0306
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0306
objectType: label: Object Name
content: painting, engine panel
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: oil paint (image material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 1/2 in x 24 1/2 in; 39.37 cm x 62.23 cm