Fire Bucket, "White Angel"

unknown · mid 19th century

This hand-sewn leather bucket from 1795 is marked “White Angel.” This is an example of one of a number of poetic mottos—others include “Heart in Hand” and “Always Ready”—that were featured on buckets. These bold sayings “bring immediate visions of fighting the flames with leather.” Buckets such as this one sang the praises of their owners, and would have been used and paraded proudly. Such descriptive imagery continued to be used by firefighters long after the days of the bucket brigade were over: in 1883, the American Fire Engine Company of Seneca Falls, New York built the “White Angel” engine for use at parades and competitions.