Basil Smith (British, B. 1925). "1880s Police Patrol Wagon" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media painting on Hot Press Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This paintingis the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the U.S. 13c Patrol Wagon 1880s stamp issued October 29, 1988.

By the mid 1800's, many American cities were experiencing rapid population growth accompanied by increased crime rates. Through the early 1800's, most police forces were hard pressed to provide even the appearance of protecting the public. Fortunately, reforms took hold in the shape of merit systems to replace the rampant political patronage then in vogue, recruitment of honest men of high caliber to serve as commissioners, and the evolution of better equipment. Police officers had up to this point been grossly ill-equipped. At last, the tools necessary to do their jobs became available to these men. One such tool was the police patrol wagon, the late 19th century innovation shown in this artwork. It was used to efficiently and economically transport officers to and from their regular beats, as well as to public disturbances and other problem areas. In some parts of the country, the patrol wagon evolved into a vehicle also used to move prisoners, precipitating the addition of security features. Known as a "paddy wagon," the van was built with an entrance at the rear and seats along the flanks. It was built with strong walls, barred windows and a foot gong that announced its priority over other traffic. The paddy wagon featured here was known as the "Black Maria." Drawn by a two-horse team, it was recognized by -- and named for -- its color.

Image Size: 7 x 6 in.
Overall Size: 10 x 9 in.
Unframed.
(B11808)

- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.

- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.

- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.

- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com

- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.

- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.

- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.

10 x 9 in