Art & Artifacts Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Badge |
Collection |
James A. Kelly collection of Brooklyn firefighting records |
Object ID |
M1989.44.91o |
Year Range from |
1891 |
Year Range to |
1894 |
Dimension Details |
2 1/4" H x 1 5/8" W x 0 1/2" D |
Description |
Brass-colored, shield-shaped metal badge with scrolling design around edges; central design depicts state seal of New York in relief; inscription: 'SPECIAL / DEPUTY SHERIFF / 1891 / 1894 / EXCELSIOR / KINGS COUNTY / 202' |
Place Names |
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) |
Subject Headings |
Badges Firefighters Volunteer work Fire fighting Artifacts |
Personal and Corporate Names |
Brooklyn Volunteer Firemen's Association |
Collection Finding Aid |
James A. Kelly collection of Brooklyn firefighting records (1989.006) |
Curatorial Notes |
As New York and Brooklyn became increasingly dense cities, the specter of fire and its destructive potential loomed large. In Brooklyn beginning in 1785, local citizens regularly selected their volunteer firefighters at town meetings. For the next eighty-four years, an expanding network of volunteers fought fires across Brooklyn. Station crews worked independently of each other, sometimes leading to competition between teams to reach fires first. Ultimately, the volunteer system was not sustainable in the face of Brooklyn's rapid geographic and population growth. In 1869, Brooklyn city officials replaced this volunteer system with the better organized full-time and professional Metropolitan Fire Department. The majority of the Brooklyn firefighting-related artifacts in the BHS collection were transferred from the James A. Kelly Institute for Local Historical Studies at Brooklyn's St. Francis College in August 1989. Kelly built this collection during his tenure working for the city, first as Deputy County Clerk of King's County from 1944 to 1971 and later as Brooklyn's first official borough historian. These artifacts, photographed and digitized thanks to the generous support of the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation, are part of the larger James A. Kelly collection of Brooklyn firefighting records at BHS. |