General Resources
Great Chicago Fires: Historic Blazes the Shaped a City by Call Number: TH9445.P8C43 2001ISBN: 1893121070Publication Date: 2001
Iroquois Theater Fire: Introduction
Chicago Tribune archive - Charred seats show where the fire killed more than 600 people in less than 15 minutes at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago in 1903.
The Iroquois Theater Fire occurred in Chicago on December 30, 1903. At least 602 people were killed; many were children. The theater, which had only been open one month, was considered to be architectually excellent, and advertisements had declared it fireproof. The fire occurred during a sold-out performance of the musical Mr. Bluebeard. The fire began when one of the lights over the stage shorted out and ignited a muslin curtain. The fire quickly spread through the flies to the hanging scenery, and a fireball travelled from the stage to the back of the balconies. The high death toll was the result of a combination of faults in the design, construction, and operation of the theater. Lack of extinguishers and alarms, a malfunctioning asbestos curtain, sealed vents, a confusing layout, locked doors, and locked metal gates that blocked the balcony stairways all contributed to the fire's high death toll.
Books at the IFSI Library
These links take you to the IFSI catalog. To request an item, click "Add to Request Bin." This takes you to a page where you can fill out the online request form and submit to the IFSI library. To request items, you must be an Illinois resident with a library card from an Illinois library.
Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theater Fire of 1903 by Call Number: F548.5.B64 2003ISBN: 080932721XPublication Date: 2006
Tinder Box: The Iroqouis Theatre Disaster 1903 by Call Number: F548.5.H36 2003ISBN: 0897335147Publication Date: 2005
The article: "A Tragedy Remembered," in the July/August 1995 copy of NFPA journal, gives Eddie Foy's eyewitness account of the Iroquois Theater Fire. Although this article is no longer available online, we do have a physical copy at the IFSI Library. Come in to the library, email, or call us to get access either to the physical copy or a scan.
Online Resources
- Great Chicago Theater DisasterThis book, published in 1904, is a contemporary perspective of the fire and its aftermath. It includes many pictures. Because it is no longer in copyright, it is freely available for viewing through the Internet Archive. A nearly identical book was published under a different title, Chicago's Awful Theater Horror.
- Illinois Periodicals Online--A Matinee to RememberThis account, originally published in Illinois Heritage magazine, describes the fire from the perspective of 11-year-old Elson Barnes, a survivor of the fire. It is available through Illinois Periodicals Online, a project of Northern Illinois University Libraries.
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Digital Commons: The Iroquois Theatre Fire: Chicago's Other Great FireThis dissertation available through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Digital Commons discusses the fire in detail, placing it within the broader context of historical theater fires, Chicago city government, and the Chicago theater district. It discusses the expert advice ignored by the theater's architect and owners and the preventable actions that led to the fire. It also analyzes changes in the wake of the fire, including stricter enforcement of theater safety regulations and changes in theater construction and operations.
- Smithsonian Magazine: The Iroquois Theater Disaster Killed Hundreds and Changed Fire Safety ForeverThis article from Smithsonian Magazine details the events that occurred during the Iroquois Theater Fire, as well as the reaction of the larger city in the aftermath.
Videos
In a video available on CSPAN.org, Nat Brandt leads a discussion at the Chicago Public Library about his book, Chicago Death Trap: Book Discussion on Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903
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