Fireman's Trumpet
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and heightening on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.6 x 24.3 cm (14 x 9 9/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10243
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Fireman's Trumpet*, captivating watercolor rendering by Florence Hastings, created around 1937. This delicate work on paper (35.6 x 24.3 cm) captures gleaming brass curves and intricate engravings of a historic fireman's speaking trumpet, an essential tool for directing firefighters amid the chaos of 19th-century blazes. Hastings employed watercolor, graphite, and heightening—likely white gouache for luminous highlights—to achieve a lifelike precision that makes the object seem ready to sound the alarm. As part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works...