Gift of the Richard Welling Family, 2012.284.5064 © 2014 The Connecticut Historical Society.

Civic Center Debris Removal, Hartford, Connecticut

ArtistDrawn by Richard Welling American, 1926 - 2009

Date1978

MediumDrawing; black ink on paper

DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 16 x 22in. (40.6 x 55.9cm)
Sheet (height x width): 16 x 22in. (40.6 x 55.9cm)

ClassificationsGraphics

Credit LineGift of the Richard Welling Family

DescriptionDrawing of the Hartford Civic Center after the collapse of its roof. The interior of the arena is visible and mostly free of debris, except for the seating section on the right. There are two cranes on the floor. The Masonic Hall is visible in the background.

Object number2012.284.5064

MarkingsVerso, bottom right, stamped in gray ink: "The Estate of / RICHARD / WELLING" [in box]InscribedRecto, bottom right, handwritten in black ink: "7/26/78 10:10 A:M"

Bottom right, handwritten in pencil: "$250"

Bottom left, handwritten in pencil: "52"NotesSubject Note: At 4:15 a.m. on 18 January 1978, during a major snowstorm, the roof of the arena of the Hartford Civic Center collapsed and fell 83 feet to the floor. Just hours earlier, the arena had been packed with spectators at a hockey game. (Finlay 2/26/2014)

Subject Terms