Charles Sampson served the Alexandria Fire Department for many years. He began his career as a volunteer in 1934, going on the payroll as of 1937. When he retired in 1975, he was a Battalion Chief. Sampson collected memorabilia and information about the history of Alexandria fire departments, including a group of photographs. These photographs, along with his scrapbooks, were donated to the Alexandria Library Local History/Special Collections division. The photos include many wonderful examples of past fire stations, engines, and firemen.

The photographs in this exhibit, which represent a selection from the collection, have been arranged in three groups: engines, stations and men. Some photographs appear in more than one section; for example, a photo of a group of men in front of a fire station would be found in both the Firemen and the Fire Stations section. Follow the links below to view the photos. Each section consists of several groups of small photos; clicking on one of these photos will display a larger image.

ENGINES | STATIONS | MEN

All of the photographs in the Sampson Collection are available for reproduction, either as a studio quality print or as a digital scan. Click here for information about obtaining a reproduction of any of the photographs seen in this exhibit.

Related materials in the collection include:

Manuscript Collection Box 53-53A: Chief Sampson Fire Department Collection

Manuscript Collection Box 126-128: Sampson Volunteer Fire Department Scrap Books

Manuscript Collection Box 267: Alexandria Fire Department Records

The History of the Alexandria Fire Department 352.3 HIS

A History of the Relief Truck and Engine Company No. 1 of the Alexandria Fire Department, Alexandria, Virginia 352.3 ALE

Fire Department Vertical File