Romance of Firefighting

Volunteer firemen protected the life and property of New Yorkers and were important members of the City. They had a tough job and were always at the ready. With no horses or motors, volunteer firemen depended on their muscle to pull apparatus to a fire. Volunteer companies were also social groups and members often visited one another to show off their apparatus and uniforms. Volunteers fighting fires and partaking in social events are depicted in the paintings and illustrations displayed on the Museum’s second floor. These pieces are works of art as well as documentation of the “romance of firefighting.”

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Framed documents and works of art, from portraits of firemen to prints of fire companies racing to fires, illustrate firefighting in the volunteer period.
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This statue, presented to New York Firefighters by the Sons of Italy Lodge 2702, depicts a classic image from the volunteer period - the fireman holding a rescued child. This image is found on certificates, prints, and other artworks from the time period and characterizes the heroism displayed by volunteer firemen.
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This silver service set was presented to the President of the Firemen’s Charitable Association of New Orleans on the occasion of his retirement in 1872. It is elaborately engraved and decorated with symbols of the volunteer department.
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Prints, paintings, and certificates from exempt and veteran associations highlight the fraternal and social aspects of the volunteer period, which continued into the paid department.
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This case features typical lighting used by firefighters during the volunteer period, including a hand lantern, an ornamented apparatus lamp, and a hand carried parade torch.

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Our Permanent Exhibitions

One of the most interesting stories, not told elsewhere in the City, is that of the early days of fire fighting in New York. The museum is privileged to house much of the City's collection of historic firefighting artifacts, memorabilia and equipment dating from as early as the 1650s. Together our collection of documents, firefighting apparatus, fire marks, buckets, trumpets, helmets, rattles, lanterns, uniforms and other artifacts tell a powerful story of early New York, the challenges faced by our ancestors and their ingenuity and skill in preventing and controlling fires in a setting and conditions difficult to imagine today.

Firefighting on Parade

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