Columbia Company Cape
date: label: date made
content: 1820-1840
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 blue with gold trim and lettering that reads “COLUMBIA / 1763.” Early American fire companies often linked themselves with patriotic names or symbols. Linked to the goddess of Liberty, Columbia was popularized as the female personification of the United States in the late 18th century, as the country began to agitate for its independence. Actually founded in 1765, Columbia Fire Engine Company began as the Fellowship Engine Company (Lower Ward) in the Germantown area of Philadelphia. The company took the name Columbia around 1809. Incorporated in 1833 as the Columbia Fire Engine and Hose Company of Germantown, it operated as a hand engine company until 1871 when Philadelphia’s paid firefighting department was established.
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
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
label: See more items in
content: Clothing & Accessories
label: See more items in
content: Work
label: See more items in
content: Firefighting Collection
label: See more items in
content: Firefighting Capes
label: See more items in
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: 2005.0233.0121
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0121
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 1/2 in x 41 1/2 in; 64.77 cm x 105.41 cm