Tempest, Robert - Lithograph, Hibernia Fire Company of Philadelphia - ca 1851 v3 - T-Shirt

Write a Review
$19.99 - $26.99
Shipping:
Free Shipping
Adding to cart… The item has been added

Mix & Match Discount

  • Any 3 Items — 10% off
  • Any 5 Items — 20% off
  • Any 10 Items — 30% off
Mix & match anything sitewide — combine tees, hoodies, and more. Discount applies automatically at checkout.

Tempest, Robert - Lithograph, Hibernia Fire Company of Philadelphia - ca 1851 v3 - T-Shirt

This vertical lithograph shows two officers of the Hibernia Fire Company of Philadelphia, rendered in hand-coloured engraving from around 1851.

Visual Elements & Composition

The composition is a tall portrait panel framed like a formal engraved plate. Two men in mid-nineteenth-century fire company dress stand at the centre, each wearing a top hat with a HIBERNIA band. Green capes embroidered with the letters F and A fall across their shoulders, and a leather fire belt carries a HIBERNIA No 1 plate. A book labelled Constitution sits among the figures. The palette is soft and warm, led by peach cream, with teal green in the capes and charcoal and tan brown in the detailing. The printed text reads "Robt Tempest and Jos Barton, President & Vice President, of the HIBERNIA ENGINE Co.", placing the figures by name and rank.

Meaning & Symbolism

Volunteer fire companies were the backbone of civic life in nineteenth-century American cities. Philadelphia's companies were fraternal societies, neighbourhood institutions and social clubs as much as firefighting crews, and their regalia signalled pride, duty and mutual aid. The top hats, capes and belts mark membership and office, while the Constitution book points to the rules that bound the members together. The print honours bravery and collective service during a period of rapid urban growth. Robert Tempest, who is named on the print, produced historical and commemorative prints of this kind.

Made for the Firefighter's Wardrobe

A portrait-format print suits the front of a tee, where the two officers can sit at the chest and their regalia can frame the shoulders. The fine engraved lines and the layered colour read clearly at close range, the way a viewer studies a historic plate held in the hand. Wearing it puts a piece of Philadelphia's volunteer fire history on your own chest.

Specifications

Product Details

Size Guide

Care Instructions