Presentation Trumpet, "Washington Engine Co."
date: label: date made
content: 1832
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: As more American volunteer fire fighting companies began to form during the late 18th century, a need emerged for better organized efforts in combating conflagrations. Engineers and officers would use “speaking trumpets” to amplify their voices over the noise and commotion of a fire scene to direct the company in effectively fighting the blaze. Two trumpet variants are reflected in the collection: plain and functional “working” trumpets that were actively used at fires, and highly decorated “presentation” trumpets. Presentation trumpets were awarded to firefighters in honor of their service, or between fire companies during visits, competitions, and musters.
label: Description (Brief)
content: This speaking trumpet was presented by the Philadelphia Engine Company No. 18 of Boston to Philadelphia’s Washington Engine Company in 1832. The trumpet is made of brass, with a tin mouthpiece and an upper half sheathed in leather. A purple cord with tassels is attached near the mouthpiece, though it is of a later date than the trumpet itself. The brass trumpet is missing its bell, but the shaft is engraved with the inscription “Presented by the Philadelphia Engine Co. No. 18 of Boston to the Washington Engine Co. of Philadelphia, 1832." The Philadelphia Engine Company was founded in 1825 on Beacon Street, near Boston Common. Soon after this trumpet was made, the company changed its name to Lafayette and eventually disbanded in 1851. The Washington Engine Company was founded in Philadelphia in 1796 and would remain active until the city changed over to a municipal fire department in 1872.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
label: Associated Place
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: Associated Place
content: United States: Massachusetts, Boston
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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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: Speaking Trumpets
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: 2005.0233.0821
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0821
objectType: label: Object Name
content: trumpet, speaking
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather, tin (part: mouthpiece material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 21 in; 53.34 cm