Bidspirit auction | 1889 Original Photograph Fire Department

1889 Original Photograph Fire Department Horseheads NY - This original sepia-toned group portrait, dated 1889, depicts the Horseheads, New York Fire Department. The image features approximately twenty uniformed firefighters posed with their apparatus, which includes large-spoke wheels for a hose cart or ladder wagon. The group is situated in front of a multi-story wooden frame building characterized by an ornate balcony. Notably, the portrait includes two young children and an African American man positioned on the far left. The firefighters are dressed in period-appropriate attire consisting of uniforms, belts, and helmets, with several officers holding speaking trumpets. The photograph is a late 19th-century print that has been professionally preserved in a modern wooden frame with double matting under glass. A typed label on the matting reads HORSEHEADS FD 1889. The reverse side features a gold foil oval label for Horseheads Do-It Best Frame Shop, Horseheads, NY 14845. A piece of blue painter's tape with the handwritten number 80 is attached to the top edge of the inner frame. Overall Frame: 15.5 inches H x 17.5 inches W Visible Image Area: 9.5 inches H x 12.5 inches W. The original photograph exhibits significant signs of age and wear. There is a large vertical tear at the top right and a missing section at the bottom left corner. The edges of the print are irregular. General fading, creasing, and surface wear are evident throughout the image, consistent with a late 19th-century unmounted print. The modern frame and matting are in good condition.