Mechanical Fire Alarm

During World War Two, light along the coastline was a major concern. Electricity was shut off at night to make it harder for enemies to see where people and buildings were.

During the day, electric fire alarms were used. At night, people had to rely on mechanical fire alarms such as this one, which were placed outside of buildings. In the event of a nighttime fire, someone would crank the handle, which hit the bell and alerted people inside of the building so that they could evacuate.

These mechanical fire alarms were used until 1945 when the war ended and nighttime blackouts were no longer necessary.