Hoe de slangbrandspuit en pomp in het brandspuithuisje opgeborgen dienen te worden na gebruik, ca. 1750 18th century

This undated drawing shows how a fire hose and pump should be stored in a firehouse, sometime around 1750. Created by an anonymous artist, the image reflects the 18th century’s growing focus on civic infrastructure and public safety. The detailed rendering of equipment – hoses neatly draped and tools precisely hung – speaks to an emerging sense of order and control, values deeply rooted in the Enlightenment. Yet, we might also consider the social context: who were the individuals responsible for maintaining this equipment? Likely, the labor fell to marginalized members of society, perhaps indentured servants or enslaved people, whose efforts were essential but often unacknowledged. As you consider the orderliness presented, reflect on whose labor makes such order possible, and who is rendered invisible in this pursuit of civic progress. In its precise depiction, this drawing not only instructs but also invites us to contemplate the complexities of labor, safety, and social hierarchy in the 18th century.