*British, Fire Mark for Birmingham Fire Office Company, 1805-1867*
Approx measurements: 26cm high, 28cm wide
A Birmingham fire insurance wall plaque, cast with a fireman before an wheel-drawn cart with water buckets, the legend within a scrolling apron.
Following the devastation caused by the Great Fire of London in 1666, there arose a pressing need for a more systematic approach to fire prevention and management, spurring the inception of the world’s inaugural property insurance policies. Recognizing the economic advantage of fire prevention over post-disaster reconstruction, insurance firms promptly established dedicated in-house fire brigades. These brigades were tasked with safeguarding the properties covered by insurance policies, often focusing exclusively on those properties. In order to denote insured buildings, insurance companies devised their own distinctive fire insurance plaques, which were fixed to the facades of buildings.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition, some small holes. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
