|
This is one of my favorite period illustrations of the
Iroquois Theater fire. It's not 100% accurate
but the unknown illustrator did his
homework more thoroughly than some. The curtain is shown
raised on the north side of the proscenium. Some newspaper illustrators
were forced to pump out visuals based upon
inadequate information from night-of/day-after
witnesses; this artist likely had the opportunity to
attend the coroner's trial or read newspaper
accounts of same.
Fire soars through the gap as a child moves closer to
get a better view and some stare at the fire as
if transfixed,
while mothers try to protect their
children. Only sixteen people are depicted,
rather than the several hundreds that were actually
trapped in each of the balconies, and with more
illumination than was present during most of the
disaster. By the time the fire belched out
from beneath the curtain as depicted here, most
balcony occupants were at exits, their hair and
clothing burning, frantic to escape. According to
first responders, only a handful remained in their
seats til the very end.
|
