"Marquis de Lafayette" Engine Panel Painting
date: label: date made
content: 1830-1849
name: label: artist attribution
content: Sully, Thomas
label: artist attribution
content: Woodside, John Archibald
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: The painted cartouche is attributed to the Lafayette Hose Company No. 22 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was active from 1833-1871. The fact that the painting is small and circular indicates that it may not have been a fire engine panel, and could have been used for a funeral procession honoring Lafayette after his death. Lafayette was highly respected due to his military service in the Continental Army and the role France played in winning the Revolutionary War. He was greeted with parades and celebrations on his return to the United States in 1824, and many fire companies participated in funeral processions upon his death to honor his contribution to the founding of the nation.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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
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: 2005.0233.0315
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0315
objectType: label: Object Name
content: painting, engine panel
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: oil paint (image material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 7 in x 6 1/2 in; 17.78 cm x 16.51 cm