newyorkcityfiredepartment

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.

This looks more like packing up after the crisis is over to me.

See notes under

See: query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00E12F73F5A15738... 250,000 in Tie-up at Morning Rush Hour; Affects Whole City Short Circuit Starts Fire Three Packed Trains Stalled at 55th St. and Broadway Near Flames New York Times January 7, 1915 The worst accident in the history of the New York subways occurred yesterday morning, when one woman was killed and 210 persons weer overcome by smoke or trampled upon. Three crowded downtown trains weer stalled at 8:02 o'clock between the Columbus Circle and Fiftieth Street station by a short circuit which set fire to the insulation of electric wires and filled the tunnel with a dense acrid smoke.

Most of the buildings are now gone, with the exception of the Woodward (now Dream) Hotel, but the access grates to the subway (the only exit for the 250 trapped passengers) are still there. maps.google.com/maps?q=1261+broadway+new+york&hl=en&a...

Hi, I'd like to invite you to submit your photo to Fire, Rescue, Emergency and EMS HiQ . FREEHQ contains the most dramatic, interesting, rare, creative and high quality (HQ) photos related to fire, rescue, and emergency services, by land, sea, or air on flickr; as well as the occasional semi-related photo from outside the proverbial box. Regards, TomBk Admin FREEHQ

Note that the person who wrote on the negative has forgotten that the calendar changed from 1914 to 1915.