Fire Bucket, "W. Forbes"
date: label: date made
content: 1820
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: This hand-sewn leather bucket from 1832 is marked with the owner’s name, W. Forbes, and “Independent,” most likely the name of his fire company or fire society. The public service of firefighting was closely connected with republican ideals of citizenship. The formation of associations was considered uniquely American, and volunteers generally chose names for their organizations that would demonstrate their patriotism and sense of civic duty: “Independent,” “Union,” and “Liberty” were all common names for fire companies. Fire threatened to destroy society, and by protecting the cities in which they lived from physical destruction, firefighters were seen as preserving democratic values, values at the core of American society. Companies chose names that would emphasize their commitment to the young nation and its political principles.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: used
content: United States: Massachusetts, Salem
topic: label: classified
content: Fire Fighting
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 and Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0233.0240
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0240
objectType: label: Object Name
content: bucket, fire
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: iron (handle material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 14 in x 9 in; 35.56 cm x 22.86 cm