Hartford Circus Fire: Ruins of Bleachers and Band Stand
PhotographerPhotographed by
Unknown
DateJuly 6, 1944
MediumPhotography; gelatin silver print on paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 3 1/8 x 5 3/8in. (7.9 x 13.7cm)
Sheet (height x width): 3 1/2 x 5 3/4in. (8.9 x 14.6cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of Craig Hotchkiss
Object number2011.216.11
DescriptionTwo men stand in what would have been the interior of the circus tent, looking at the ruins of what appears to have been the band stand. Wooden steps lead up to a platform with folding metal chairs and other debris on it. The ruins of bleachers are in the foreground. A smaller tent and trees 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.
Status
Not on view
