Hoseholder with Fire Company Insignia 1935 - 1942

Curator: Look at the texture; it’s raw, immediate. Is this a sketch of a carving, perhaps? There's a rough grandeur, but almost… utilitarian? Editor: It's a drawing of "Hoseholder with Fire Company Insignia" by Elmer G. Anderson, made sometime between 1935 and 1942. It depicts what appears to be a wood carving, probably a relief. We see an eagle, its wings spread wide, surmounting a seashell motif and foliate scrolls. Curator: The eagle is gripping that…scallop? That’s unusual. It feels almost heraldic but decidedly… American in its roughness. It’s a powerful image but what’s the shell doing there? I guess that could be an emblem, as well. What cultural weight did such emblems carry? Editor: Well, it was commissioned or perhaps even made by, a fire company. The symbolism is interesting when placed in that context. The eagle has, of course, symbolized power and the state, but also vigilance and protection since Roman times. The shell is complex: life and birth, pilgrimage… Curator: So a sense of rebirth after destructive fire and pilgrimage, perhaps of dedication and service by firefighters. Is this a study, or perhaps a record of craftsmanship meant for something bigger? The hollow circles within the volutes have me thinking these held something. Editor: That’s my hunch. It’s fascinating because it’s documenting not only craftsmanship but civic life in that period, showing us the kind of symbolic imagery valued by working people, a hyper-local aesthetic. Curator: Yes, far outside of the official, state-sponsored iconography, and clearly meaningful to the men and women who comprised the fire company. One also cannot fail to reflect on the deeper connotations between emblems like this – created just prior to the Second World War – and symbols of nationalism or collectivism. Editor: Exactly! A cultural object like this challenges preconceived notions about who makes art, how images circulate in everyday life, and what kinds of meanings are valued. It shows that the politics of imagery extend far beyond portraits of political leaders. Curator: Seeing the intersection between national pride and local craftsmanship recontextualizes what symbols represent. The roughness here communicates strength as much as it represents national aspiration. Editor: Absolutely. I love that such objects make us rethink not only what is deemed worthy of being art, but where artistic significance is found and how it evolves.