Hartford Circus Fire: Ruins of Animal Cage
PhotographerPhotographed by
Unknown
DateJuly 6, 1944
MediumPhotography; gelatin silver print on paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 3 x 5 3/8in. (7.6 x 13.7cm)
Sheet (height x width): 3 7/16 x 5 13/16in. (8.7 x 14.8cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of Craig Hotchkiss
Object number2011.216.9
DescriptionSections of the large metal cage used for animal acts are piled in the foreground amid poles and other debris. Some sections of the cage are still standing. Bleachers, trees, trailers, and a small tent are visible in the background. Two men are standing in an open area.
Label TextThe Hartford Circus Fire took place in Hartford, Connecticut, on the afternoon of July 6, 1944. The large tent housing the main performance area of the circus caught fire and burned at an incredibly rapid rate. The tent had been soaked with a mixture of gasoline and paraffin in order to waterproof it, and as a result once it started there was no stopping it. Several hundred people were injured, and 168 people were killed.
Status
Not on view
July 6, 1944
July 6, 1944
