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The lost Past

The melodrama, “The Two Orphans” was playing on the stage of the Brooklyn theatre on December 5, 1876 with a full house in attendance. Over a thousand people were packed inside with most of them in the upper gallery seats, comprised of  families and large groups of people that came to see the show at an affordable price. The show had become quite popular and had been going on for some time, however that  night’s performance at the Brooklyn theatre would be different.  At 11:15 PM, shortly after the opening of the last act, a fire broke out, apparently caused by scenery touching the gas lights. A common problem with gas lamps inside structures back in the days of wooden frame and floors, especially a stage with props and backdrops. Much like the Titanic after itself the theater staff and performers were slow to respond to and inform the audience of the danger. Then when the fire started raging so did the people started panicking and running for the only two exits. The building had three levels of seats and only one staircase that ran the height of the building. These factors led to people collapsing down the steps and being trampled, adding to the jam that already existed. Many on the upper level died of asphyxiation or when the building finally collapsed on itself in fifteen to twenty minutes. Over 300 died that night, most of them being families and the not so well off.     The location i chose is the Federal building and post office that is a cross the street from the bookstore entrance of the city tech building.  I noticed it not too long ago when I went to buy books for class and saw a style that was of a time passed. There are also two parts to the building, one is the original and the other is the expansion. The original has more detail on the face of it with arches, towers and engraving. The newer section is more focused on functionality and has less of the style found on the old. also being across from a technical based collage and a court building covered in glass and steel seemed to fit well the idea of old and new.This was the main juxtaposition that I saw there. the following 52 photos were taken at various locations, heights and times to show case the entire building and the surrounding area. It is also the site of the Brooklyn Theater Fire on December 5, 1876 where 278 to 300 people died. There is sing or memorial at the location and few would even know about it. We can not see the past but it is there, where a court and post office now stand a play would go on into the night.