Brooklyn Engine Co. 17 July 30 2016, 0 Comments
Last year, I had the honor of donating to the NYC Fire Museum in the name of Dennis Smith (author of 'Report From Engine Co. 82). At that time, after meeting with some of the staff, we decided to make a NYC Fire Museum tee based on their archives and designed by Hook & Irons. The result of our first effort is Brooklyn Engine Co. 17.
The design is based on a banner that is displayed in the museum. It shows the active roll of all the members of Engine 17. The banner is beautifully drawn. We wanted to take elements of the banner and use them to capture the spirt of the company and its story. Below is a picture of the main part of the banner.
After reading more about the history of the company, we decided to focus on the engine's logo--a grasshopper.
The grasshopper was unique and the story behind the 'hopper club' was very interesting to me.
In 1849, Engine Co. 17 purchased a Philadelphia patterned 'piano box' style engine which quickly earned the name 'haywagon' because of its long and flat appearance. The brake and the pump levers were located on top of the engine and the men who climbed up and down it so skillfully were said to look like grasshoppers. Even after they purchased a newer engine the name stuck. 'The Hoppers' kept their name for the rest of the company's existence. At its high point, Engine Co. 17 boasted 75 members and their firehouse was regarded as one of the most beautiful in the country.
The resulting design is our best effort to create a station logo and design as if the company were still operating today. We wanted everything to be hand-drawn and we wanted to bring the story of the 'hoppers' back to life.
It has been an amazing experience to be able to access the museum. If you're visiting the city, you should stop by and support them. You can even pick up a Hook and Irons shirt in their gift shop, our first retail location.
If you'd like to purchase Brooklyn Engine Co. 17, you can click here.
You can read more about the history of the Brooklyn Fire Department by following this link.