All are welcome to join the Museum and Bloomington Public Library on Wednesday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. for the final 2024 History Reads Book Club season, in person at Bloomington Public Library or online via Zoom. Please note the discussion has been moved to Wednesday due to the election
The final book to be discussed this year will be Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theater Disaster 1903 (2003) by Anthony Hatch. The Iroquois Theater in Chicago, boasting every modern convenience, advertised itself proudly as “absolutely fireproof” when it opened in November, 1903. Mr. Bluebeard, a fairy tale musical imported from the Drury Lane Theatre in London was the opening production. And leading the troupe of nearly 400 was one of the most popular comedians of the time, Eddie Foy.
None of the many socialites and journalists who flocked to the shows were aware that city building inspectors and others had been bribed to certify that the theater was in good shape. In fact, the building was without a sprinkler system or even basic fire fighting equipment; there was no backstage telephone, fire alarm box, exit signs, a real asbestos curtain or ushers trained for emergencies.
A month later, at a Christmas week matinee, the theater was illegally overcrowded with a standing room only crowd of mostly women and children. During the second act, a short circuit exploded a back stage spotlight touching off a small fire which spread in minutes throughout the theater. Panic set in as people clawed at each other to get out, but they could not find the exits, which were draped. The doorways, locked against gate-crashers, were designed to open in instead of out, creating almost impossible egress.
The tragedy, which claimed more than 600 lives, became a massive scandal and it remains the worst theater fire in the history of the country.
Registration is ONLY REQUIRED for online participants and can be completed by clicking here, in person at the Adult Help Desk on the library's second floor, or by calling 309.590.6168.
Contact the Adult Help Desk at 309.590.6168 or reference@bloomingtonlibrary.org to check out or reserve a print copy of the book. Digital copies of this book (eBook or eAudiobook) may be available through the Libby or Hoopla apps.