Object Details
- unknown
- Description (Brief)
- Beginning in the 1750s, some American insurance companies issued metal fire marks to policyholders to signify that their property was insured against fire damage. The fire marks bore the name and/or symbol of the insurer, and some included the customer’s policy number. The company or agent would then affix the mark to the policyholder’s home or business. For owners the mark served as proof of insurance and a deterrent against arson. For insurance companies the mark served as a form of advertising, and alerted volunteer firefighters that the property was insured.
- The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire issued this fire mark for policy number 3337 to John Stoddart, who lived at the south side of Church Alley between 2nd and 3rd street of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania around 1809. The fire mark consists of the company’s symbol cast in lead showing four hands clasped at the wrist attached to a shield-shaped wooden backing. The Philadelphia Contributionship was established in 1752, becoming the first successful fire insurance company in America. Benjamin Franklin was one of its founding members. The Contributionship began as a mutual insurance company and this concept is represented by its “Hand in Hand” fire mark. The Philadelphia Contributionship is still in operation.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
- 1809
- ID Number
- 2005.0233.0365
- accession number
- 2005.0233
- catalog number
- 2005.0233.0365
- Object Name
- fire mark
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- lead (overall material)
- Measurements
- board: 13 in x 9 in x 1 3/16 in; 33.02 cm x 22.86 cm x 2.9464 cm
- hands: 8 1/2 in x 8 3/4 in x 15/16 in; 21.59 cm x 22.225 cm x 2.38125 cm
- overall: wt 3.75 lb
- place made
- United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Related Publication
- McCosker, M.J.. The Historical Collection of Insurance Company of North America
- See more items in
- Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
- Cultures & Communities
- Advertising
- Work
- Firefighting Collection
- Fire Marks
- National Museum of American History
- classified
- Fire Fighting
- Subject
- Insurance
- Record ID
- nmah_1341548
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac-5a2d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
