Leather fire bucket . Painted black banner with yellow letters: "Farmer's Bank." has foliate designs on both ends of banner. "No. 9" is painted below banner in black. Stitched leather construction. Metal D rings and leather loops attach 1in wide leather handle and bucket. Tag found inside bucket: "Water Bucket of C W Richenbach Property of Union No 1". Tag is for 1931 Union Fire Company annual dinner. Tag is now in object file.
Parade Belt presented to Union Fire Company by the "Lady Friends" of the fire company. Leather strap with buckle and holder for flag. Sterling silver sheild attached to leather by to copper rivets. Engraved on shield: "Aug. 14th 1860/Presented by the Lady Friends/ of the Union Fire Co./No. 1/ at their centennial anniversary/ Aug. 14th 1760
Individual sepia-colored photos, in ovals, of 43 men, members of the "Union Steam Fire Engine Forcing Hose Company, No.1, Lancaster, Pennsylvania." These photos surround a central cut-out window that frames a certificate with a resolution, a seal and signatures at the bottom. Most of the print is too small to read, but "Trenton, N J" appears.
Wood frame, 1.25 " wide, with mitered corners. Hand-carved on to top is UNION, down on right is FIRE, down on left CO NO 1, and along bottom 1760. Part of a sticker is on top right corner. The opening has an arched top but the piece on the right top corner is missing (parts of the carved letters O and N). This reveals what appear to be another mat/outline surround the framed photo.
On the back is a waxed stiff browned paper with some pieces missing: top left corner, and midway on both sides.
Written in pencil: "Geo H Oster 136 N Mary"
In smaller pencil handwriting: "Presented to Geo. H. Schenk by Mrs. Geo. Oster at the time of the sale of the effects of Geo.Oster. Union Fire Company."
Written at top in ink: "Photos of/ Union Company ? Lancaster Pa sent/to Union Company members"
Silver-plated speaking trumpet, engraved, "Presented by the La Fayette Hose Company of Baltimore to the Union Fire Company of Lancaster." Two decorative bands 8.5in apart encircle the horn with moveable wire rings to attach or suspend the horn. Embellished with flowers and leaves.
Trumpet is mounted on a base with mouthpiece now covered.
Union Fire Company Leather insignia or emblem. Long strip of leather with curved ends, painted black with a .0625in gold border around edge. "UNION," 1.75in high letters, is painted in gold in the center. At both ends an 8.5in piece of cotton tape is sewn to the back and is drawn through a hole to the front.
White ribbon, made by "ERISMAN, Lancaster, PA, is printed with gold lettering: "Shiffler/ FIRE/ Association / No. 7 / Lancaster, /Pa"
Bow: Hand made of white fabric. Hemmed length, folded with a 1 3/8-inch band in center, stitched in back with small elastic loop in center. both ends are edged in green floss buttonhole stitches.
Lathe-turned wooden tar bucket with fitted lid and remnants of leather straps. Cylindrical vessel has slight taper inward toward middle. Decorated with two double score marks below center. Above center are shoulders jutting outward with vertical holes through which straps of leather handle pass. Handle also passes through lid of conforming shape, although one strap broken off at shoulder while the other is broken off 3 inches above shoulder.Center hole in lid apparently accepted a now-missing stick used to apply tar to wheels. Broken-off 5-inch length of leather strap rests inside. Tar residue in bucket.
Lancaster County or region.
Provenance
Donor believes bucket descended from family members to his parents who displayed it on their mantle. Donor inherited it from parents.
Copper pail, cylindrical body, collared neck fitted with a copper wire bail-type handle hooked through side holes. Rolled lip edge. Dove-tailed bottom. Made for holding the glue while inset into larger water-filled gluepot and heated. Inner vessel of the double boiler gluepot.
This gluepot insert was obtained by donor to replace missing original inner component of gluepot P.77.61.
Provenance
Gift of Henry J. Kauffman from unknown source. Transferred from Heritage Center 12/2013
Padlock made by Slaymaker Lock Company for Conestoga Traction Company. Brass with key, attached by a chain. Ring and screw attaching chain to lock and key are steel or aluminum and probably replaced. Rivet construction. "Slaymaker Lancaster PA" is stamped in hasp. Spring hinge cover of keyhole. On reverse, raised portion that mimicks keyhole cover is stamped "C.T.Co."
overall oxidation that darkens the brass -- greenish cast in a few places. dents along edges of lock and on keyhole cover. bolt and keyring attaching chain to lock and key is likely a replacement.
Star-patterned, pieced-wool bed cover, created by Martha Lutz Walter from her husband William Walter's Reading Railroad uniforms. Alternate black wool blocks are decorated with multicolored wool plushwork stars w/ raised, sculpted appearance. Remaining alternate wool blocks are secured with wool yarn ties. Seams of pieced blocks have green and red feather stitching. Binding stitch secures edges. Backing is blue and orange, striped, pilled cotton flannel.
Provenance
Made by donor's mother. William Walter was a station agent for the Reading Railroad in Denver, PA.
Plushwork decoration was popular in the early 20th century.
See Trish Herr's Amish Arts of Lancaster Co.1998 for other examples of plushwork and a description of this decoration on page 44. See page 45 for photos demonstrating this technique. See also pp. 90-91 for another example of a plushwork bed cover.
