Fire Badge "City of Bergen Fire Department"
date: label: date made
content: late 19th century
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: This shield–shaped metal fire badge belonged to a member of the City of Bergen (New Jersey) Fire Department. The silver–plated badge has a stippled background with an upper and lower banner that reads “CITY OF BERGEN/DEPARTMENT.” The badge is decorated with a fire helmet in front of a crossed trumpet and hose nozzle. Below the helmet is the brass number “150” above the word “FIRE.” The City of Bergen was incorporated from Bergen Township in 1855 and became part of Jersey City in 1870, so this badge would have been used between those dates.
label: Description
content: Metal firefighter’s badges were a part of the firefighter’s uniform since volunteer companies began to proliferate in the early 19th century. As volunteer companies gave way to municipal fire departments during the mid–19th century, these badges became mandated by uniform codes. Badges served as official identification at fire scenes, as access to derelict buildings by unscrupulous citizens could result in looting. Fire badges came in a variety of shapes, most notably circular, shield–shaped, or the Maltese cross. While shield–shaped badges were often worn on the chest, circular and cross-shaped badges can be seen on jacket lapels or soft caps. Badges usually detailed the company’s name, number and department, and were often decorated with various symbols of the profession such as hose carriages, hand–pumped engines, hoses, trumpets, helmets, hooks, and ladders. For paid municipal companies, many badges also featured the badge number of the wearer.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: North America
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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content: Work
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content: Firefighting Collection
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content: Fire Badges
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: 2005.0233.1303
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.1303
objectType: label: Object Name
content: badge, fireman's
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 3/4 in x 1 1/2 in; 4.445 cm x 3.81 cm