- The exhibit honors the rich history of firefighting in Northampton County with plenty of relics
- Several interactive stations, including a mock station with a dress-up area, are available for kids and adults
- The Sigal Museum's "Forged by Fire" exhibit opens at 10 a.m. on Sept.21
EASTON, Pa. — Sound the alarm! It’s time to recognize and celebrate the rich history of those who put their lives on the line with the Sigal Museum’s new firefighting exhibit, which opens Thursday afternoon.
“Forged by Fire: the Heroism, Honor, and History of Firefighting,” presented by the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society, opens its doors – no need to bust them down with an axe, they’ll let you in – on the Sigal’s second floor.
The exhibition, flush with relics from local firefighting history and beyond, traces the roots of the vocation back to the very roots of Northampton County itself.
“They fundraise, they do all the work that helps fire companies get the money to buy the things they need to fight the fires."Curator of Exhibitions Tim Betz
From Moravian innovations for moving water to the bucket brigade to horse-drawn steamer engines to volunteer companies and beyond, the exhibition provides a fascinating look into the development of firefighting technology, as well as a look into the lives of those who give their all to protect the community.
Curator of Exhibitions Tim Betz said one of the most intriguing elements of the Valley’s firefighting history revolves around the setup of the cities themselves.
“When we're starting off, we're talking about urban planning, we're talking about the infrastructure being put in to help fight fires because now we think of fires like a house or a block. Historically, if a building catches on fire, that can be a whole city, that can be turned into the Great Fire of London, the Great Chicago Fire. So when we're thinking of kind of these early phases, we're thinking of everything we can do to prevent that from happening,” Betz said.
From those embers grew elements for firefighting like fire insurance, and rather interestingly, the application of Pennsylvania German folk magic to prevent blazes.
Community plays a strong role in the history of firefighting, from the efforts of early settlers – many if not all of whom were volunteers themselves – brandishing the buckets from their homes to extinguish flames to the brother-and-sisterhood of the firehouse itself, where vital knowledge has been passed down over centuries.
“And then there is the idea of heroes today, really kind of focusing on how firefighters are first responders, focusing on people like the Ladies Auxiliary, they do all the work, or they do a lot of work, right? They fundraise, they do all the work that helps fire companies get the money to buy the things they need to fight the fires,” Betz said.
The exhibit consists of relics from the museum’s own collection, contributions from local fire companies, and generous local collectors, Curator of Collections Monica Bugbee said.
While many pieces come from Easton, Bugbee said the exhibit aimed to honor the entirety of Northampton County.
“We have a fairly large collection of firefighting items that we've had on display, maybe 30 or 40 years ago, when we were in our original location in a different building,” Bugbee said.
“So we did have some things, but it was really heavily focused on Easton, being that our museum is located in Easton. What we were trying to do in this exhibit is branch out a little bit, because we're the Northampton County Historical Society, so we wanted to try to represent other parts of the county as well.”
Some incredible entries include the horse-drawn pumper truck which dates back two centuries, a variety of nozzles and extinguishers stretching over the years, classic Women’s Auxiliary outfits, special occasion wardrobes featuring decorated vests and ribbons and a few items from the wreckage of Sept. 11.
Visitors to “Forged by Fire” can even get a taste of the past by trying interactive exhibits like the water pipe station, where they can drill a hole into a log, an homage to the day when wooden logs were used to move water for firefighters.
In another section, both kids and adults can suit up in firefighting gear at a mock station, which will also feature a CRT television playing classic firefighting public service announcements.
There’s even an homage to the animals who helped support fire brigades throughout the years, including horses, and, of course, the quintessential firehouse dog.
One of the more well-known fire dogs in the area was Frank, a pup from the 1800s trained to inspect hoses and bark when he found a problem, and to urinate to put out small fires. Frank was a celebrity, routinely making the rounds with a dyed pink mustache and tail for parades.
While he passed away in the 1870s, he was taxidermized, though Frank will not be making an appearance at “Forged by Fire.”
“But we do have a section highlighting him, and why I like it – other than the obvious, because this is a great story about a dog, even though the dog dies at the end – is that we often think of people in the past as these very serious people. And I think it's in part because we see these photographs of them where they have to sit for a long exposure and they're scowling. But no, these were people that were as funny or weird as we are, they're regular people just living their lives,” Betz said.
For Bugbee, it’s not one thing in particular she finds fascinating, but the incredible growth and development highlighted throughout the exhibit.
“I think that is the favorite theme for me, that kind of underlies most of it, is the development of technology. So especially in one area, we have different types of fire extinguishers. And it starts with just a bucket. You know, you're just throwing water on fire. And then that changes as you move through time,” Bugbee said.
But at the heart of the exhibit lies the firefighters themselves, the very people who do everything they can to save lives and protect their communities from an ever-present threat.
"The majority of firefighters believe this lifestyle is a calling, and the greatest job in the world," Easton Fire Chief John Bast, an advisor to the exhibition, said. "We are always there to help, even as a last resort."
Forged by Fire opens to the public with a private members' reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday.
