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Photos found of London's first public firefighters

LFB An old image of a man dressed in uniform with his arm leant on a desk, with his helmet beside him. LFB
John Cliffe Bridges served a further 11 years after joining the MFB

A series of portrait photographs showing some of London's first public firefighters has been uncovered by curators at the London Fire Brigade.

London's first publicly funded fire service was established by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act of 1865, later becoming the London Fire Brigade in 1904.

The images had not been catalogued before going into storage over a decade ago, and were found during an inventory of the London Fire Brigade's historic collection.

Stephanie Chapman, the brigade's museum curator, said: "These pictures offer a fascinating look at the first publicly funded firefighters responsible for protecting London."

LFB Two smiling women hold large books whilst standing in a storage room.LFB
The brigade's curators, Sophie and Stephanie, holding early service records

The London Fire Brigade said the photographs were found by the current museum team during a new inventory, with no clear record to show the images had been identified.

The formal portraits show firefighters and officers posed in uniform, often holding or displaying their distinctive brass helmets.

When cross‑referenced with the brigade's staff records from the time, the images put faces to some of the people who helped keep London safe in the brigade's early days.

Many of the first firefighters of the newly formed Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) were drawn from existing organisations, including the private London Fire Engine Establishment (LFEE) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire (RSPLF).

LFB A binder full of old photographs of firefighters. Their names are written in red above the images. LFB
LFB uncovered the photographs of early Metropolitan Fire Brigade firefighters

Among those pictured is John Cliff Bridges, who joined the MFB from the LFEE, where he had already spent 29 years as a firefighter. The LFEE focused primarily on tackling structural fires.

His service record reveals that Bridges went on to serve a further 11 years with the MFB, stationed at Watling Street, Bishopsgate and Farringdon Road fire stations.

He retired in 1877 with the rank of superintendent and was awarded an annual pension of £164.

The records also reveal that he was a family man, with a wife and five children who would most likely have lived with him at the fire station.

LFB A man stood upright in uniform with helmet on his head. The image is small and black and white.LFB
John Edward Barker joined the Brigade from the RSPLF

Another firefighter identified in the photographs is John E Barker, who joined the Brigade from the RSPLF, a charity focused on rescuing people from fires.

He began his MFB career at Highgate Fire Station and went on to serve at several stations over 24 years. He retired in 1884 from his final role as Officer in Charge at Isle of Dogs Fire Station.

That same year, he was awarded a Good Service Medal, presented by the then Duke of Cambridge.

LFB An old paper with handwritten notes from various authors. A red table can be seen at the top of the page.LFB
Barker's service record revealed more about his life

Chapman added: "We don't yet know why the early brigade decided to include these photos in our records, but we're grateful that they did.

"Firefighting has changed a lot in the last 160 years, and these photos are the first part of that story."

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