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Battling the Blaze: Artifacts from the history of firefighting

Battling the Blaze: Artifacts from the history of firefighting

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·March 23, 2025
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Animats

The pictures are kind of random. The one that says "Licensed Victualer" probably isn't a fire mark.

Here's the US's first fire mark, from the Philadelphia Contributorship for the Insurance of Houses from Destruction by Fire.[1] Founded by Benjamin Franklin and still in business, they sell perpetual fire insurance. Pay one large premium, once, and the building is covered for the life of the building, even through resales.

[1] https://www.si.edu/object/nmah_1341446

Ichthypresbyter

Here's a museum catalogue entry [0] of a very similar object which the museum calls a fire mark.

The Licensed Victuallers' Association was a mutual benefit society for pub landlords. As well as operating institutions like schools and almshouses, it ran an insurance company.

[0] https://www.reading.ac.uk/adlib/Details/collect/12943