Fire plates
Dating back to the 18th century, fire plates—also known as insurance plates—served as both a marked of insured properties and a form of advertisement for insurance companies. These plaques, made of metal and other durable materials to withstand all kinds of weather conditions were placed high on buildings to prevent theft. They always featured the company’s name, often in golden relief, offering visibility and prestige.
Fire plates also played a functional role. In the event of a fire, some fire brigades prioritised buildings with fire plates, as insurance companies often rewarded firefighters for saving insured properties. Sometimes, fire brigades got paid for their efforts. However, this practice ended with the formalisation and professionalisation of fire brigades in the early 20th century, rendering fire plates obsolete.
While no longer in use, fire plates can still be spotted on historic buildings in the Netherlands. NN Group’s Historical Collection holds 13 different types of fire plates; the oldest dates from around 1846 from De Nederlanden van 1845, founded in Zutphen, and shows the city’s Coat of Arms. Other plates were used abroad, and the specification ‘Netherlands’, ‘Niederlande’ or ‘Pays Bas’ was probably enough to know that De Nederlanden van 1845 was involved.
