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The second photo in reply 124 looks as if were taken at the Mill Basin (Brooklyn) oil tank farm fire back in 1962. Any other thoughts on it?
VINTAGE FDNY WAR YEAR LIDS
- Thread starter JohnnyGage
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In order to get this frontpiece...
......some of us started here.
......some of us started here.
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Then the next step...
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Finally... Graduation day!....
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Another lid with very high frontpiece.
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Lid tattoos:
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Is he: Making a call?... Taking a breather?...Holding his retirement party in a phone booth?
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Calling the pension unit.JohnnyGage said:Is he: Making a call?... Taking a breather?...Holding his retirement party in a phone booth?
:
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Pre Vintage fire helmets
?Stovepipe? hat was developed before the fire helmet just after the Revolutionary War. Back then, firefighters did not usually enter buildings on fire and so a helmet was unnecessary. The stove pipe fire hat was designed and hand painted to identify members from particular fire companies at fire scenes. Made of pressed felt the hats were used in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Back then, firemen did not enter burning buildings, what was important was to pump water to the fire and remove valuables from a homeowners home before they were destroyed. Of all the valuables, the bed was the most important and had to be disassembled using a ?bed key? that all firefighters carried with themselves. The bed would be disassembled and carried out from harm's way.
?Stovepipe? hat was developed before the fire helmet just after the Revolutionary War. Back then, firefighters did not usually enter buildings on fire and so a helmet was unnecessary. The stove pipe fire hat was designed and hand painted to identify members from particular fire companies at fire scenes. Made of pressed felt the hats were used in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Back then, firemen did not enter burning buildings, what was important was to pump water to the fire and remove valuables from a homeowners home before they were destroyed. Of all the valuables, the bed was the most important and had to be disassembled using a ?bed key? that all firefighters carried with themselves. The bed would be disassembled and carried out from harm's way.
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REFERENCE TO ABOVE: Fireman's Bed Wrench or Key
Two important ?tools? utilized by early American firemen were the bed key and salvage bags. Since fire apparatus could only supply small amounts of water, fire gained headway and was soon out of control.
The priority for arriving firemen was to remove valuables while bucket brigades and small engine hoselines would protect surrounding buildings.
The bed key was a small forged metal tool that allowed men to quickly disassemble the wooden frame of a bed, quite often the most valuable item owned by a family and remove it to safety. The forged cast iron wrench was designed to fit or slide over multiple size bolt heads. The salvage bag was used to toss any valuable into and safely remove from damage or loss.
Two important ?tools? utilized by early American firemen were the bed key and salvage bags. Since fire apparatus could only supply small amounts of water, fire gained headway and was soon out of control.
The priority for arriving firemen was to remove valuables while bucket brigades and small engine hoselines would protect surrounding buildings.
The bed key was a small forged metal tool that allowed men to quickly disassemble the wooden frame of a bed, quite often the most valuable item owned by a family and remove it to safety. The forged cast iron wrench was designed to fit or slide over multiple size bolt heads. The salvage bag was used to toss any valuable into and safely remove from damage or loss.
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I learn something new almost every day on this site. I had never heard of a "bed key" before. Thanks, Dan. Learning about some of the FDNY's volunteer predecessors is fascinating. It was not at all uncommon for rival companies to get into fights with one another over "whose fire" they were at . . . while no one tried to put the fire out. Can you imagine a commotion when E73 gets to one of E82's first due boxes ahead of 82 . . . and a fight breaks out over whose fire it is? Of course it would be a pretty small brawl compared to those of the 1840's or 1850's . . . since we're in the days of the 4 man engine company.
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Since many houses had thatch roofs, prone to burning from sparks from an adjunct building, thatch hooks were used to pull the roof off. Sometimes these were attached to a rope which was thrown up onto the roof, hopefully embedding in the thatch, and then pulled down.
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And these to be used from a ladder, possibly the forerunner of today's "hooks".
JohnnyGage said:Pre Vintage fire helmets
?Stovepipe? hat was developed before the fire helmet just after the Revolutionary War. Back then, firefighters did not usually enter buildings on fire and so a helmet was unnecessary. The stove pipe fire hat was designed and hand painted to identify members from particular fire companies at fire scenes. Made of pressed felt the hats were used in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Back then, firemen did not enter burning buildings, what was important was to pump water to the fire and remove valuables from a homeowners home before they were destroyed. Of all the valuables, the bed was the most important and had to be disassembled using a ?bed key? that all firefighters carried with themselves. The bed would be disassembled and carried out from harm's way.
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THE LID AS WE KNOW IT
The eight comb rigid leather helmet as we know it has virtually remained unchanged...retains the same look and quality that generations after generations of firefighters have relied upon. The iconic design was inspired by jockeys who wore their hats backwards.
Leather helmets are made of Western cowhide, ?? thick. The design is credited to a NYC Volunteer firefighter Henry Gratacap, circa 1830?s, who by trade was a leather luggage maker (some other articles say a ?hat maker?). His innovative luggage was designed specifically for ocean transit, so the leather was specially treated which withstood wetness without rotting and proved very durable. It was named the ?New Yorker? in the late 1800?s.
The eight comb rigid leather helmet as we know it has virtually remained unchanged...retains the same look and quality that generations after generations of firefighters have relied upon. The iconic design was inspired by jockeys who wore their hats backwards.
Leather helmets are made of Western cowhide, ?? thick. The design is credited to a NYC Volunteer firefighter Henry Gratacap, circa 1830?s, who by trade was a leather luggage maker (some other articles say a ?hat maker?). His innovative luggage was designed specifically for ocean transit, so the leather was specially treated which withstood wetness without rotting and proved very durable. It was named the ?New Yorker? in the late 1800?s.
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THE FRONTPIECE
Two brothers named Cairns were operating a metal badge button and insignia business in NYC. The Brothers are credited with the idea of mounting an identification badge to the front of Gratacap?s helmets. Today they are known as a frontpiece.
Jasper and Henry Cairns purchased Gratacap?s business in 1868 and renamed their business, Cairn?s and Brother. The large frontpiece held on by an eagle was designed to break windows. The eagle had no real significant meaning, in 1825 an unknown sculptor created a commemorative figure for a volunteer firefighters grave incorporating an eagle, and eagles have become associated with fire helmets ever since. In Canada, leather helmet frontpieces were held on by a beaver in place of the eagle.
Originally pictures were painted on the frontpiece, then the fire company name started to appear. Later the frontpiece would be designed to articulate a fire officers rank, thus the bugle became the universal sign for an officer of an engine company and the ax the sign of a truck boss.
The brothers also modified the low crown shaped frontpiece in 1930 and lowered the frontpieces two inches as the eagle beak would be caught on telephone lines, get dented, bent and knocked off. Early on, some chatter about how much safer it would be to do without the eagle, but the idea did not go far with firefighters.
Two brothers named Cairns were operating a metal badge button and insignia business in NYC. The Brothers are credited with the idea of mounting an identification badge to the front of Gratacap?s helmets. Today they are known as a frontpiece.
Jasper and Henry Cairns purchased Gratacap?s business in 1868 and renamed their business, Cairn?s and Brother. The large frontpiece held on by an eagle was designed to break windows. The eagle had no real significant meaning, in 1825 an unknown sculptor created a commemorative figure for a volunteer firefighters grave incorporating an eagle, and eagles have become associated with fire helmets ever since. In Canada, leather helmet frontpieces were held on by a beaver in place of the eagle.
Originally pictures were painted on the frontpiece, then the fire company name started to appear. Later the frontpiece would be designed to articulate a fire officers rank, thus the bugle became the universal sign for an officer of an engine company and the ax the sign of a truck boss.
The brothers also modified the low crown shaped frontpiece in 1930 and lowered the frontpieces two inches as the eagle beak would be caught on telephone lines, get dented, bent and knocked off. Early on, some chatter about how much safer it would be to do without the eagle, but the idea did not go far with firefighters.
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