At the core of any fire company is the apparatus used to fight fires and protect lives. This was particularly true of for the volunteer fire fighters in 19th century America. Often purchased with their own funds, their fire engines were the focus of their pride and affection, as well as their identities as fire fighters. Engine plates, often made of brass, would be prominently affixed to engines and inscribed with the company name, number, and founding date. Engine plates could pass from old engine to new, or be kept in the firehouse as a memorial to a departed apparatus.
This curved metal engine plate was used by the Liberty Hook and Ladder Company Number 16 of New York City during the early middle of the 19th century. Liberty No. 16 was founded in 1840 and located at the corner of Lexington and Fiftieth Street. The curved plate has diamond accents on the top with a shield-shaped droplet below that is engraved with the number “16” with a crossed hook and ladder across the “16.” The word “LIBERTY” is engraved in calligraphic letters across the arch, and the engraving is filled with black enamel. The back of the plate is inscribed “Built by/C.E. Hartshorn/New York.” Charles E. Hartshorn built a variety of fire fighting apparatus in New York City during the mid-to-late 19th century.
