Men Demonstrating 1840 Fire Engine and 1830-1880 Hose Carriage, circa 1930

Summary

These five firefighters, photographed around 1930, demonstrated the operation of a hand-pumped fire engine from nearly a century earlier. In reality, as many as 20 people would have pushed on the long bars -- called brakes -- to work the pump. Under ideal conditions, the engine might have pumped more than 75 gallons of water per minute.

These five firefighters, photographed around 1930, demonstrated the operation of a hand-pumped fire engine from nearly a century earlier. In reality, as many as 20 people would have pushed on the long bars -- called brakes -- to work the pump. Under ideal conditions, the engine might have pumped more than 75 gallons of water per minute.

Artifact

Postcard

Subject Date

circa 1930

 On Exhibit

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

30.179.4

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Printing (Process)

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 3.5 in

Width: 5.5 in

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