Pair of Painted Leather Fire Buckets

Description:

Pair of Painted Leather Fire Buckets, Boston, Massachusetts, c. 1820 both fire buckets with inscriptions "ALWAYS READY" and "CHESTER ADAMS" in black lettering on white banners and "1820" in creamy white around a shield-shaped reserve centered with a polychrome painted spread-winged eagle on a red ground, surrounded by leafy scrolls against a black ground "No. 1" and "No. 2" on the reverse, and red-painted collar and base, (imperfections include detached handles on both buckets with minor abrasions and paint losses on No. 1),ht. to top of collars 12 3/4, 12 1/4 in.

Provenance: By family descent of the consignors. A genealogy of Chester Adams is included with the fire buckets.

Note: According to American Biography: A New Encyclopedia, The American Historical Society, New York, 1920, Chester Adams was "born in Canterbury, Connecticut, January 22, 1780. In early manhood he was a school teacher, and later became a prominent man of Charlestown and Boston, Massachusetts." He married Elizabeth Watts in 1803. "From 1814 to 1819, he was cashier of the Tremont National Bank of Boston, and in 1846 was elected president of the Union Bank" until he died May 30, 1855. "He was deacon of the Winthrop Congregational Church for a number of years." Henry Adams, Chester's English immigrant ancestor, was also the ancestor of President John Adams.
Estimate $10,000-15,000

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