Images ~ After the Fire

At the fire scene:

Investigation of the fire scene, photograph by Lieutenant Frank Shaw of the Connecticut State Police.

Investigation of the fire scene, photograph by Lieutenant Frank Shaw of the Connecticut State Police.

Investigation of the fire scene, photograph by Lieutenant Frank Shaw of the Connecticut State Police.

Investigation of the fire scene, photograph by Lieutenant Frank Shaw of the Connecticut State Police.

Investigation of the fire scene, photograph by Lieutenant Frank Shaw of the Connecticut State Police.

Investigation of the fire scene, photograph by Lieutenant Frank Shaw of the Connecticut State Police.

Investigation of the fire scene, photograph by Lieutenant Frank Shaw of the Connecticut State Police.

Origin of the fire. Remains of the men's toilet enclosure can be seen, and the charring pattern on the bleacher supports are visible.

People search for personal belongings among the charred debris.

A uniformed young man makes his way through the burned remains.

A large crowd gathers at the fence around the lot.

An inspector takes notes next to the fallen animal chutes. Notice the pile of shoes next to chutes.

Survivors Leo Goodman, age 9, and Nicholas Zaccaro, age 11, inspect the ruins after the fire.

Men from nearby Bradley Field Air Base load the victim's bodies onto an Army truck for transport to the State Armory morgue.

Photo courtesy of Donald Derby.

Photo courtesy of Henry Hallock.

View from South end of the big top. Charred grandstand seating in on the left, animal cage at ring 1 is to the right. A collapsed animal runway chute is also shown beneath a fallen center pole.

View from the East end of the tent looking Southeast at the remains of the bandstand area. Performer's Dressing Tent in the background.

View from the East end of the tent looking Southeast at the remains of the bandstand area. Performers Dressing Tent in the background.

Opposite end from origin of fire, remains of the bandstand area. View from East end of tent looking Northwest. An investigator can be seen scraping charred supports.

Standing at West end of tent, near the Main Entrance, looking East.

Workers appear to be removing the remains of a victim from the fire scene.

View from the Main Entrance area, looking east, possibly taken from someone on the crane (which can be seen in shadow). Photo was taken very soon after the fire, with a lot of people and activity at the east end of the lot (top of photo) where the deceased were loaded into trucks for transport to the State Armory morgue.

Close-up of the Northwest animal runway, collapsed, on left side of the photo next to the 3 men.

Close-up of the back lot area, at the east end. Circus wagons visible, and trucks for transporting the dead. Scores of workers are helping to collect and load the bodies.

View from the back lot looking west toward Barbour Street. Merle Evans' bandstand is the structure in the center of the photo. The Main Entrance would at the far end of the tent, to the upper right in the photo. The victory gardens are to the left, and a couple of homes on Barbour Street can be seen at the top of the photo.

Close-up of two unknown people surveying the ruins of the bandstand.

View from east end looking southwest. Bandstand in foreground to the right of the photo, Southeast bleachers in the center of the photo. Victory gardens are to the left, and the homes along Barbour Street are visible at the top of the photo.

Close-up of charred Southeast bleacher section in foreground, and total destruction of the South grandstand seats (Sections A thru K). Beyond the grandstand ruins are the remains of the Southwest bleachers, upper right in the photo, where the fire originated.

Close-up of the backside of homes along Barbour Street. Some of these still remain at 298 - 314 Barbour Street.

At the State Armory (morgue):

Friends and family of victims of the circus fire waiting to identify their loved ones.

Information desk at the temporary morgue at the Connecticut State Armory.

Bodies of the circus fire victims wait to be identified at the Connecticut State Armory morgue.

Mother and daughter reunited after the fire. Photo was possibly taken at The Brown School, where the lost children were collected.

A distraught woman is aided by nurses and police while trying to identify lost loved ones.

Policemen arrange the bodies in the temporary morgue at the Connecticut State Armory.

Circus fire victims laid out in the Connecticut State Armory waiting for identification.

A dentist inspects the body of a circus fire victim at the State Armory. (Hartford Times photo)

Esther Bergin grieves after identifying the body of her daughter Eldoras, victim of the circus fire. (Hartford Times photo)

Funeral procession for the Gallucci and DeNezzo victims. (Hartford Times photo)

A man overcome with grief after identifying a circus fire victim at the State Armory. [Possibly Salvatore Dimartino?] (Hartford Times photo)

Telephone operators at the State Armory. (Hartford Times photo)

Women who have identified circus fire victims at the State Armory.

July 7, 1944: Relatives and friends of missing persons provide details to the clerks at the temporary morgue at the State Armory in Hartford, following the circus fire. (Acme telephoto)

Waiting for Heartbreak Hartford, Conn — Although the Hartford Armory didn’t open until 8:30am, grief-stricken relatives lined the sidewalk outside the building from 5:30 on, waiting to identify their dead, who succumbed in the fire which swept through the main tent of the Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey circus yesterday (July 6). This shot was taken at 8:00am. Identification of the victims proceeds slowly - many of the bodies are so charred that recognition is impossible. ACME photo, 7-7-44

July 6, 1944: A state official reads a list of the identified dead to a long line of people waiting to identify those inside the temporary morgue at the State Armory in Hartford, following the circus fire. (Acme photo)

Waiting to Identify Circus Dead Hartford, Conn — While grief-stricken relatives carry boxes containing the effects of those killed or injured in the tragic circus fire this afternoon, others wait in line for their turn to identify bodies within the State Armory in Hartford. Roaring flame swept the “big top” of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, this afternoon, as some 10,000 — mostly women and children — were enjoying the “greatest show on earth.” Within seconds, the huge tent was a holocaust. The death toll tonight stands at 127 and is expected to approach the 200 mark as many of the injured are not expected to live. ACME photo, 7-6-44

Close-up.

Prayers for Circus Fire Victims Hartford, Conn — Protestant and Catholic churches throughout Hartford offered special prayers today in the tragic circus fire, and for the recovery of 132 others, some of whom are now clinging to life only by the barest of threads. The latest count reveals that the fire took a toll of 153 lives, besides 11 unidentified bodies still in the morgue. There are 29 persons still listed as missing, while 27 hospitalized victims are in a critical condition. Here, in the Christ Cathedral, memorial services are in progress. ACME photo, 7-9-44

Inside the armory, people viewing the deceased.

Inside the armory, people viewing the deceased.

Inside the armory, people viewing the deceased.

Inside the armory, people viewing the deceased.

Unidentified woman searching for someone in the morgue is escorted by a Red Cross worker and a nurse. Feet and toes of a victim can be seen in the lower right corner.

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Circus workers and performers begin rebuilding equipment upon their return to RBBB winter headquarters in Sarasota, Florida, two weeks after the circus fire. 

Sarasota, FL - Robert Ringling here tells a group of girl circus performers they must pitch in to help repair any rigging that was damaged in the fire at Hartford, Conn., to hurry reopening of the show, set for Aug. 4 in Akron, OH. World Wide Pictures, 7/24/1944

Sarasota, FL - At winter headquarters here, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is undergoing repairs after the disastrous fire in which many died at Hartford, Conn. Minus the big top which burned like tissue paper in the recent disaster, the circus will reopen Aug. 4 in Akron, Ohio, according to announcement here. For the first time in its history on the road, the circus will play without a main tent, in stadiums, ball parks and auditoriums. These photos show the circus people rebuilding and repairing their equipment. Here aerialist Phillip Wallenda and midget clowns Joseph White, Clayton Chase and Frankie Saluto help construct a rope ladder. World Wide Pictures, 7/24/1944

Sarasota, FL - Repairing their aerial swing, Torrance (right) handles the welding torch while Victoria helps hold part of the rigging which was damaged in the circus fire at Hartford, Conn. Torrance and Victoria do an aerial act, which they will resume when the circus reopens Aug. 4. Wide World Photos, 7/24/1944

Sarasota, FL - Dolly John, Karl Wallenda and Henrietta Wallenda test the bicycle used in their wire act, for wheel alignment. The Wallendas were on the high wire when the big top flamed up in the circus fire at Hartford, Conn., and had a narrow escape in the disaster. World Wide Pictures, 7/24/1944

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The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus first performance after rebuilding from the fire was at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio on August 4th.  Images below show the workers setting up for the show. 

RBBB set up at the Rubber Bowl, Akron, Ohio. August, 1944

RBBB set up at the Rubber Bowl, Akron, Ohio. August, 1944

RBBB set up at the Rubber Bowl, Akron, Ohio. August, 1944

RBBB set up at the Rubber Bowl, Akron, Ohio. August, 1944

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July, 1959 AP Newsfeatures photo: At top is photo taken just after the disastrous July 6, 1944 Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey circus at Hartford, Conn.  Below is a recent photo of the same area.  The numbered areas show [1] where the big top stood, [2] the entry from Barbour Street, [3] a stone works, and [4] new apartment buildings.  

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