"Eagle on Top of Globe" Engine Panel Painting
date: label: date made
content: ca 1863
name: label: maker
content: unknown
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: This painting belonged to the Eagle Fire Engine Company No. 13 of New York, New York that was active from 1783 until 1865. The oil painting was created by an unknown artist around 1863. The image consists of an eagle perched on a globe, with an American flag and Phrygian cap on the flagpole. The cap is also known as a liberty cap, a symbol of freedom from tyranny. The fire company named itself after the eagle, the national bird of the United States. The imagery of the eagle connotes patriotism as well as the eagle’s history as a symbol of strength and immortality. This painting and its companion (2005.0233.0311) would have adorned either side of the company’s engine.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: used
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: classified
content: Fire Fighting
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
label: See more items in
content: Engine Panel Paintings
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
label: See more items in
content: Work
label: See more items in
content: Firefighting Collection
label: See more items in
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: 2005.0233.0310
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0310
objectType: label: Object Name
content: painting, engine panel
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: oil paint (image material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 27 in x 29 in; 68.58 cm x 73.66 cm