Iroquois Theater fire spared Mr Bluebeard costumes

Website with 681+ pages devoted to 1903 Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago

Contents
Audience stories	Performers: pg 1 pg 2
Fire in court	Stage workers
Life in 1903 pg 1 pg 2	Theater owners
Municipal response	Theater structure
Newspaper coverage

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Mr Bluebeard costumes escaped Iroquois Theater fire

Curious. The fire burned everything fabric on the stage and in the auditorium, but in the dressing rooms above the stage, wagonloads of fabric costumes were left intact.

The explanation may be that the hanging cloth backdrops were such an easy source of fuel that the fire hadn't yet sought out fuel sources in side rooms when the back draft pushed the blaze out into the auditorium.

The dark cavern pictured at the south end of the stage in this photo is the area beneath the dressing rooms. The brick wall at right is the west wall of the theater. The cage-type elevator was to the right of the cavern.

Iroquois Theater stage carpenter Frank Barr

Archie Bernard Iroquois Theater electrician

Stagehands at 1903 Iroquois Theater

Other discussions you might find interesting

Story 1113

A note about sourcing. When this project began, I failed to anticipate the day might come when a more scholarly approach would be called for. When my mistake was recognized I faced a decision: go back and spend years creating source lists for every page, or go forward and try to cover more of the people and circumstances involved in the disaster. Were I twenty years younger, I'd have gone back, but in recognition that this project will end when I do, I chose to go forward. These pages will provide enough information, it is hoped, to provide subsequent researchers with additional information.

I would like to hear from you if you have additional info about an Iroquois victim, or find an error, and you're invited to visit the comments page to share stories and observations about the Iroquois Theater fire.

Judy Cooke 2024 All rights reserved ©