Details
Description
Substantial vintage Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Co. 2½-gallon soda-acid fire extinguisher constructed with a copper tank, embossed brass instruction plaques, original-style …
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Substantial vintage Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Co. 2½-gallon soda-acid fire extinguisher constructed with a copper tank, embossed brass instruction plaques, original-style hose assembly, and highly decorative Elk Hart stag emblem. This example is particularly desirable because it retains its removable internal bottle cage, acid bottle, and stopple. The bottle is embossed Pyrene Mfg. Co., Newark, N.J. and carries the historic Glasbake / HEETPRUF branding. An excellent industrial display piece for a firehouse collection, commercial Americana interior, restaurant, bar, loft, or vintage industrial décor.
Details
Brand/Artist/Country: Elkhart Brass Mfg. Co.; Elkhart, Indiana, USA
Internal Bottle: Pyrene Manufacturing Co.; Newark, New Jersey, USA
Item Description: 2½-gallon inversion-type soda-acid hand fire extinguisher with removable internal acid-bottle assembly
Design Details: Cylindrical copper body; domed shoulder; circular brass top handle; embossed brass Elk Hart stag plaque; raised charging and operating instructions; side-mounted red hose; removable metal bottle cage
Bottle Markings: “We Recommend Use of This Bottle When Recharging Fire Extinguisher,” “Glasbake,” “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.,” “Acid Line,” “HEETPRUF,” and Pyrene Manufacturing Co., Newark, N.J.
Internal Components: Glass acid bottle, blue/green oxidized metal cage, and separate mushroom-form stopple
Age Range: Approximately 1930s–1950s
Dimensions: Approximately 24" tall × 7.25" base diameter
Capacity: 2½ gallons
Materials: Copper, brass/brass alloy, glass, metal cage, rubber/fabric-covered hose
Color Palette: Aged copper, antique brass, dark red, blue-green verdigris, clear glass
Design Styles: Early American Industrial, Machine Age, Firehouse Americana, Commercial, Institutional, Utilitarian
The Glasbake name originated with McKee Glass in 1917 as a heat-resistant glass line. Pyrene was a major American fire-extinguisher manufacturer, founded in the early 20th century, and period Pyrene-marked Glasbake acid bottles matching this wording are documented as extinguisher inserts.
Originality Note
I would describe the bottle as a period Pyrene replacement or compatible acid bottle rather than guaranteeing that Elkhart installed it when the extinguisher was manufactured. The Pyrene identification is excellent for collectability, but the different manufacturer means factory originality cannot be established from the photographs alone.
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- Dimensions
- 7.25ʺW × 7.25ʺD × 24ʺH
- Styles
- Early American
- Industrial
- Period
- Early 20th Century
- Country of Origin
- United States
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
- Materials
- Brass
- Copper
- Glass
- Rubber
- Condition
- Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Copper
- Condition Notes
- Condition Vintage — used. I would not classify it definitively as Antique under a 100+ year standard without evidence placing … moreCondition Vintage — used. I would not classify it definitively as Antique under a 100+ year standard without evidence placing manufacture in 1926 or earlier. Tank has been personally inspected and is confirmed empty, but the interior has not been cleaned. Retains glass acid bottle, bottle cage, and stopple. Glass bottle shows heavy longitudinal scratching/scuffing from repeated insertion and removal within the metal cage, providing clear evidence of actual service use. Bottle retains legible embossed Pyrene, Glasbake, HEETPRUF, Acid Line, and patent-office markings. Internal cage displays pronounced blue-green oxidation/verdigris and other age-related surface deposits. Stopple differs in form from the example accompanying the other extinguisher and retains heavy oxidation/residue. Copper body has attractive aged patina, oxidation, stains, scratches, spotting, and normal commercial-use wear. Brass plaques retain strong raised detail with oxidation, finish loss, and surviving traces of the original red background coloration. Hose appears complete and has no observed holes, but is stiff and exhibits substantial age cracking. Hose has been waxed for preservation. Not pressure tested and should be sold strictly as a historic collectible/decorative object, not operational firefighting equipment. less
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