Hartford Circus Fire: Ruins of Animal Cages
PhotographerPhotographed by
Ralph L. Emerson
DateJuly 6, 1944
MediumPhotography; gelatin silver print on paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 7 1/8 x 7 1/2in. (18.1 x 19.1cm)
Sheet (height x width): 10 1/4 x 8in. (26 x 20.3cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of The Discovery Museum
Object number2003.108.6
DescriptionDebris in the foreground appears to include metal cage components, possibly from the animal chute, as well as a large pole with attached pulleys and ropes. Bleachers, a frame house, 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
