"We Lend a Helping Hand" Engine Panel Painting
date: label: date made
content: 1851
name: label: referenced
content: Johnson, Joseph Hoffman
label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: We Lend a Helping Hand was the motto of the Americus No.6 Company, which operated in New York, New York from 1848-1865. In addition to their motto, the Americus Company was also often represented by a tiger, or simply by its number, 6. The panel bears all of these representations, wreathed by golden garlands, but leaves out elaborate patriotic imagery or suggestive classical forms. We Lend a Helping Hand represents a more simply designed panel that plainly represented the fire company.
label: Description
content: This panel painting belonged to the Americus Company No. 6 of New York, New York which operated from 1848 to 1865. The panel is unsigned, but is attributed to Joseph Hoffman Johnson, a founding member of the Americus Company and artist who painted the company’s famous “Big Six” engine. <i>We Lend a Helping Hand</i> was the motto of the Americus Company, and the painting also bears the company’s number (6) and mascot (Tiger). The panel’s design is notable for the absence of patriotic or neoclassical imagery so prevalent in engine panel paintings. This painting and its companion (2005.0233.0317) would have adorned either side of the company’s engine.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
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
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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: 2005.0233.0316
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0316
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: 16 3/4 in x 14 1/2 in; 42.545 cm x 36.83 cm