firedepartment

Based on the higher-res version of this image on the LOC website, these windows say something like "National Cloak & Suit." According to the NYT, the National Cloak and Suit Company occupied "the entire west side of the block on Seventh Avenue between Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Street" in New York City. A look at Google Maps' Street View confirms that it's this location, 250 Seventh Avenue, currently a Whole Foods store. There is also an October 10, 1912 story about city-wide fire drill exercises the previous day, one of which took place at the building, so this picture could have been taken on October 9, 1912, unless there other fire drills of this type taken in other years.

Thanks, epicharmus! We will add a note to the source data and reload the description.

Bain News Agency has placed the date on the bottom of the photo: 10/9/12. Here is another view of the fire drill, in the adjacent photo in Bain's photostream:

I saw Adam Morrow, Gary Morrow and Roger Perry as well. where is the part where Dean Salmond took a header over the wire fence! casey

Thanks Casey, will add the names. There was a couple headers on the hidden barb wire fence but that ending up on the cutting room floor!

Is this one of the old telegraph alarms, similar to this one: flickr.com/photos/katysilbs/2664152094/in/set-72157606141...

Actually that one in the photo is much closer to the one I bought in 1980 from an antique store



I believe the 1913 photo was taken by City Hall, and the box shown was brought to that location temporarily and set up for the ceremony/photo op, you'll notice I'm probably right on that connection because the Mayor is standing on the curb, that box is standing in the STREET.

FIRE ALARM TO OPEN 9 NEW FIREHOUSES
New York Times, March 11, 1913

"Unusual ceremonies will mark the opening on Thursday afternoon, March 20, [1913], of the nine new firehouses which are to house ten new companies. Mayor Gaynor will start the companies for their new stations by turning in an alarm from the City Hall, and later in the day he will award the Fire Department medals to the men who have been selected for distinguished service." [more]

There is a LOC photo on Flickr of one of the new Engine Companies from that celebration here:

"Engine 91 - 1st trip"   by Library of Congress


 

You could be right Urban Sculptures, that the alarm box was just brought in for the event. It does make a good photo. Thanks too to Pixel Wrangler for linking to the article describing the event. We'll make some additions to the record the next time we update.