Ahrens Fox memorabilia

[paulromano]

As we all know, not all of us can collect Ahrens Fox apparatus.  Some of us are tasked with preserving apparatus history by collecting pieces and parts related to the apparatus manufacturers.  I found this check in an envelope of stuff that I accumulated along the way and thought it might be interesting to post here.  I am currently in the process of moving my "STUFF" to a new location in New Hampshire and thus do not have access to a lot of it at the moment.  As I get to sort through the stuff, I will try to post examples of related pieces of history and old advertising that different makers used.  Now, if I could only find where I put that Ahrens Fox original watch fob...........

[paulromano]

Then there is one of my favorite fire collectibles: fire apparatus manufacturer advertising postcards.  Below is one of my favorites.  When you look at the front, most knowledgeable postcard collectors would sniff at the image and think: "humphf, not a real photo, probably a repro of a repro of a real card".  In many cases they would be right.  The subject matter is certainly interesting: an Ahrens Fox Model A (The Continental) twin dome piston pumper.  Who among us wouldn't give up their PEZ collection for a chance to own one of these.  True, it is not a real photo advertising postcard but look closer.  Your first clue on the front is the postmark date, April 13, 1912, certainly the right era.  Flip the card over and it gets better.  The printer's name can be made out: "The Feicke-Desch Printing Co. Cin'ti. O".  Another good postmark dated April 12, 1912 in Jackson, Tennessee.  A readable message: "This is the kind of fire engine we are hoping to get.....we need it very much....."  .  Your imagination can picture an energetic Ahrens Fox salesman at a meeting of the fire company in Jackson, Tenn. extolling the features of their newest pumper.  The salesman senses he has made progress so he hands out some advertising postcards for the members.  One of the members takes his card and mails it to a friend.  The friend saves the card and so on and so on until some lucky collector buys it.  The result: a happy collector, a genuine piece of apparatus history preserved and a happy wife because a postcard is much smaller than a real firetruck.

[MilFireGuy]

Military Fox postcard showing Reg 685 at the Curtis Bay Ordnance Depot just south of Baltimore.