Show all records
Click image for high resolution zoom or multiple image views.

    Title

  • Pocket watch of Julius Hochfeld : commemorating the fire on the SS Main in 1900

  • Physical Description

    1 pocket watch : various metals and fabric ; 17 x 5 cm. (6.75" x 2")

  • Date

    circa 1900

  • Summary

    Pocket watch, attached to a red white and black striped ribbon with four ornate brass bars, one of which features a shield motif with "M.A.C.R." engraved across.

    Hinged back, featuring a coat of arms. Inside, it is engraved: "J. Hochfeld, Maschinist, Nordd. Lloyd. Zur Erinnerung an die Brandkatastrophe New York SS Main 30.6.1900".

  • Subject

    Memorials; Clocks and watches

  • Medium

    Accessories

  • Part Of

    Julius Hochfeld Collection, AR 2456

  • Accession Number

  • URL

Biographical/Historical Information

Julius Hochfeld (1880-1959) was a young naval engineer on his first voyage to America, when his vessel, the ocean liner SS Main, docked on the Hoboken piers. On June 30, 1900, in the afternoon of an exceptionally hot day, a fire broke out on the piers that eventually devastated three German boats in the harbor, including the Main, as well as the entire Hoboken pier. Hochfeld was among the lucky ones to escape the inferno and was presented with a watch in commemoration of the event.

Reproductions and Permissions

We welcome fair use of this content. Please credit the Leo Baeck Institute in your citation. For usage policies and to request higher resolution images, see Reproductions and Permissions.

Citation

Pocket watch of Julius Hochfeld : commemorating the fire on the SS Main in 1900, Leo Baeck Institute, 2012.029.