Hartford Circus Fire: Lion Act in Cage
PhotographerPhotographed by
Unknown
DateJuly 6, 1944
MediumPhotography; gelatin silver print on paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 3 1/4 x 4 3/8in. (8.3 x 11.1cm)
Sheet (height x width): 3 1/2 x 4 5/8in. (8.9 x 11.7cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of Craig Hotchkiss
Object number2011.216.10
DescriptionFive lions pose on elevated platforms in the interior of a large cage decorated with stars. A man, presumably their trainer, is crouching in the center of the cage. Spectators on bleachers are in the background.
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.
NotesSubject Note: This photograph shows the animal cage that figures prominently in accounts of the Hartford Circus Fire and that appears in a number of photographs (such as 2011.216.8, 2011.216.9) showing its aftermath. (Finlay 3/1/2012)Status
Not on view
