Hartford Circus Fire: Animal Cages, Bleachers in Background
PhotographerPhotographed by
Ralph L. Emerson
DateJuly 6, 1944
MediumPhotography; gelatin silver print on paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 7 15/16 x 7in. (20.2 x 17.8cm)
Sheet (height x width): 8 1/4 x 10in. (21 x 25.4cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of The Discovery Museum
Object number2003.108.4
DescriptionMen and boys stand in a grassy area in front of a circus wagon containing animal cages. A sign on the left cage reads: "CASSOWARY." The wagon is decorated with scrollwork. A banner is at the upper right. One man appears to be wearing a military uniform. Others wear shirts, t-shirts, and pants. Bleachers are dimly visible through smoke 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
