c 1900 DETROIT FIRE DEPARTMENT PHOTO
Rooster's has just purchased a neat historical item from Detroit. It is a c. 1900 original framed photo of what is believed to be 12 Detroit Firefighters. The uniforms are consistent with the period. 3 of the men have what appear to be bugle insignias on their collar. Two of the men have one bugle which would signify them being lieutenants and one man has two bugles which would make him a Captain. The frame has it's original paper backing with a label from Henry & Willis at 137 Gratiot Ave. which is in Detroit. A mild bummer is that when the photo was taken all of the Firefighter's hats were illuminated giving them a white glare. Not only did that distort the color of the hats, but, it blocked out any cap badges. There are a few identifiable points: The chairs that the men are sitting in are 19th c chairs. They are sitting in the road which is dirt. Detroit's roads were not paved until after Henry Ford started his auto company in the early part of the 20th c. The ph...