Fire company honorary membership certificate containing vignettes depicting fire fighters racing a steam engine and hose carriage past Independence Hall; an exterior view of the Columbia Hose Co. station at Cherry Street above Seventh Street; and volunteers fighting a blaze with hoses, a steam engine, and ladder at the French & Richards drugstore at the N.W. corner of 10th and Market streets (October 3, 1865). Station view also shows the station dog, hose carriage, and pedestrian traffic, including a couple looking at a storefront display window of a neighboring building. Fire fighting equipment including a trumpet, ax, ladder, hose and belt are drawn bundled together to form side borders and decorative elements above the vignettes. Also contains, above the images, the company institution date "1806," American eagle and shield, the Roman numeral for 8, i.e., VIII; and the company motto "The Public Benefit Is Our Desire.", Issued to Charles Flowers "admitted to membership" March 4th, 1850 and "honor conferred" December 5th, 1866. Signed G.W. Taylor, President; William R. Fraley, Secretary., Company seal pasted on recto., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 146, Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited., Free Library of Philadelphia: Philadelphiana - Fire Companies
Creator
Queen, James Fuller, 1820 or 21-1886, artist
Date
[ca. 1865]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *W46 [6531.F]
