"George Washington" Engine Panel Painting
date: label: date made
content: ca 1900
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description (Brief)
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 (Brief)
content: This panel is probably not an authentic engine panel. It purports to be painted by Charles Peale Polk in 1805, but paint analysis dates it to the early 20th century. The painting is a copy of Charles Wilson Peale’s “Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Army.” This painting’s companion piece can be seen in object 2005.0233.0319. Panel paintings of Washington would have had significance to volunteer company’s named after Washington, but because of this paintings late date, it is unlikely that it was ever in use as an engine panel in an active volunteer company.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
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: 2005.0233.0318
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0318
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: 30 1/2 in x 20 1/2 in; 77.47 cm x 52.07 cm