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4. Beyond names, dates, and logos, fire buckets
could also display contemporary themes or symbolic
imagery. This Fenno example, ca. 1812, belonged to
David Stoddard Greenough, Jr., a lawyer and
Massachusetts Justice of the Peace. Sold by Skinner
in 2011, they attribute its illustration of a fiery
volcanic eruption to the commemoration of two
noteworthy eruptions that happened in 1812, the
eruption of Soufriere on St. Vincent Island in the
Caribbean, and Awu on the Sangihe Islands in
Indonesia. Greenough’s bucket sold for $8,500.
photo: Skinner Auctioneers
Personalization
How would a household find their bucket again after
it’s been passed down the line? That’s where the buckets’
colorful decorations came into play. Each fire bucket
needed to be marked with the owner’s name, and they
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sometimes had dates, numbers, or club logos as well. As
prized possessions that were often visible in the home,
owners decorated their buckets with care and could get quite artistic. A well-made,
well-appointed fire bucket was a subject of pride, and it still is today for lucky collectors.
5. An example of an English paint decorated
leather fire bucket with a metal band, 18th/19th
Collecting century, showing nautical motifs of a winged
If you are interested in adding a fire bucket to your collection, first know that they are cherub rising from a wave with a dolphin in each
highly sought after, and quality examples can bring impressive prices at auction. They are hand. This example is part of a New York City
valuable pieces of Americana, and many would argue that they’re worth every penny. If estate auction with an estimate of $400-$600,
you’re looking for a starter-level fire bucket, find one with an in-tact leather body and rope indicative of the current market for a good
handle, ideally bearing something of the original markings. example with a whimsical theme.
If you’re not picky about the bucket’s origin, you can find European examples with
pleasing details that are not as taxing on the wallet.
If you’re looking for the best, consider hiring an expert to confirm a period-appropriate paint job. The most highly regarded fire buckets have
bright, evocative painted details, reliable provenance, and can be traced to a location, maker, or individual on record.
Leather fire buckets eventually gave way to metal examples, and the lines of citizens making up fire brigades transitioned to carts or carriers
that allowed individuals to carry several buckets each, and all of these would be greatly helped by increasing access to water mains. While not as
sophisticated as their later counterparts, leather fire buckets helped keep communities safe for over a
hundred years, earning them both an honored spot in firefighting history and within our collections.

6. Few fire bucket makers are known to history, they were often the work of your local leather
craftsmen, but in Boston, one stands out from the crowd. John Fenno, likely born into a leather
working family, directly advertised his fire buckets and signed them too. Impressed “I.FENNO”
on the back seam, Fenno’s fire buckets are a hot commodity for collectors. Christopher Fox at
Skinner Auctioneers uncovered an early newspaper article with a Fenno advertisement that read
“John Fenno, jun. Hereby gives notice to those gentlemen who are so well disposed as to enter
into Fire Societies, and all others, that he continues to make Leather Buckets, strong and neat, of
a large size, and handsome shape … at the sign of the Leather Bucket, next door to Dr. Samuel
Curtis’s at the South End.” This bucket used by Boston’s Columbia Fire Society shows off
Fenno’s quality handiwork.
photo: John McInnis Auctioneers.

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7. A Georgian Period English leather
fire bucket decorated with red paint
and embellished with a Royal Coat
of Arms, c. 1810. The red leather
exterior appears to be covering a
wooden bucket with riveted construction and retains its original pliable leather handle. The
hand painted coat of arms has good graphics remaining with gilding visible on parts of the
design. The Coat of Arms is for the British Chivalric Order of the Garter.
The motto printed on the crest reads “Honi soit qui mat y pense” which is a French
maxim that translates to “May he be shamed who thinks badly of it” or “Shame be to him
that thinks evil.” Although these buckets are occasionally found, this one is in exceptional
original condition.
In English manor houses of the 18th-19th centuries, these buckets would often line the
walls of the kitchen area. The more prestigious the home the more elaborately decorated
were the leather fire buckets. This example is selling on eBay for $995. 7.

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