Antique 1800s Leather and Copper FIRE BRIGADE BUCKET Original Handle

Leather fire buckets were stored in homes and buildings to use in extinguishing fires from the 17th into the 1800's. Made by saddle makers and cobblers, the buckets were passed hand to hand along two lines, one passing along the filled buckets and the other returning the empty ones. Not having your proper number of buckets, determined by your risk of fire, resulted in a $1.00 fine (a very large amount then), while another $1.00 fine was levied on those who failed to provide their bucket to the brigade during a fire.

By the 1820's, the steam driven fire engine had been invented, along with fire hoses. In 1839, Charles Goodyear invented the vulcanization of rubber and the use of leather buckets faded into history.

This bucket retains its original leather strap handle, cracked and worn but still serviceable and a monument to the heavy use it received. It's attached with a copper ring on each side with leather tabs, one end folded over and fastened with two copper rivets. Copper rivets were used both on American buckets and those made in England and abroad.

The bucket itself has a vertical seam closed with copper rivets, with the top rim reinforced with a strip of copper that's also riveted on. The bottom edge has the same rivets encircling it. Rolled up in each bucket were coarse linen bags that were used to save any possessions possible when running from a burning building. Remnants of the linen are still attached to the inside of this bucket.

This 3 pound bucket measures 11 inches tall and 11 inches across the top and has a 6 1/2 inch diameter bottom edge. It's in very good condition, with one side misshapen from rough use (shown) but no tears, stains or other damage. The leather has acquired a lovely dark brown patina, which we've left as found and unpolished. It's decorative standing empty or holding drieds or possibly kindling.

Antique fire buckets like this one lend old world charm to any setting and are a part of American history.

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PYH 5694