#26: Firefighters in Pittsburgh, PA
A century ago, fire trucks and firefighters presented a vastly different image. Captured in a photograph from the 1920s, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s firefighters epitomized the era’s perception of bravery, skill, and community service—qualities that still resonate with the role of firefighters today.
Tracing back to 1736, the roots of firefighting run deep, famously initiated by Benjamin Franklin with the establishment of the Union Fire Co. in Philadelphia. A photograph from 1920 listened to less than a hundred years after the catastrophic Great Fire of Pittsburgh, which in 1845 obliterated 1,000 buildings, underscoring a poignant moment in the city’s resilient journey.