{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O324976"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O324976/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O324976","accessionNumber":"M.262-1924","objectType":"Fire Insurance Plaque","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"After the devastation caused by the Great Fire of London in 1666, householders took the risks of fire much more seriously. Private fire brigades were set up by insurance companies, each of which had its own engines and logo. The first of these societies was set up by Nicholas Barbon in 1667.  He established a mutual society called \"The Fire Office\" which offered fire insurance. This later became known as Phoenix Fire Office after the mythical bird which burns itself and then arises from the ashes reborn.  In 1682 it was recorded that for 30 shillings the company would insure a property for £100 for a period of 7 years. The company employed its own firemen complete with liveries and unique badges.  Francis Grose’s 1785 ‘A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue’ described the firemen employed by these companies as ‘Phoenix men: firemen belonging to an insurance office which gave them a badge charged with a phoenix; these men were likewise called firedrakes’. \r\nThe Phoenix Fire Office was the first of several fire insurance companies formed after the Fire of London. Others included the Friendly Society (1683), Hand-in-Hand (1696) Sun Fire Office (1710) and Royal Exchange Assurance (1720). \r\nHouses which were insured placed a lead or later on, copper or tinned iron plaque with the company’s name and logo on the side of their house. This ensured that, if a fire broke out, the fire engines of the insurance company would come to the aid of the household. The practice soon spread to other British cities and across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. \r\nEach plaque bore the registration number of the customer alongside the company’s logo – these can sometimes be matched to surviving insurance company records. Fire marks fell out of use in the 1840s with the development of municipal fire services. \r\n","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"lead","id":"AAT11022"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cast lead","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"013","id":"THES407314"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Fire Insurance Plaque","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"18th century - 19th century","earliest":"1700-01-01","latest":"1899-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Eric M. Browett","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"16.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"converted from measurement in register"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"converted from measurement in register"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Cast lead fire mark for the Sun Fire Office, policy number 754071. England. ","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.262-1924"],"accessionNumberNum":"262","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1924,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-03","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}