Fire Marks

Before postal services and formal addresses were widespread, fire marks were displayed on buildings to identify properties that were insured. This ceased around 1834, however some insurance companies continued to display plaques, known as plates, for advertising purposes. Many early fire marks and plates are highly valuable and collectable. The CII’s collection contains 1542 examples of international fire marks. The 360° tour of the Insurance Hall shows the collection as it was once displayed in the six-storey staircase.

You can search the extensive fire mark collection and get a sense of the geographic span of fire marks on the interactive map below: