On the evening of July 3, 1925, Boston’s Pickwick nightclub collapsed while couples packed the dance floor. Dozens were trapped in the rubble, while firefighters, police, and laborers worked desperately to free them. In the end, 44 people were killed and many more were injured. A rumor circulated that the disaster had been caused by a popular dance called the Charleston. This fake news soon became one of the most viral stories of the newspaper era, causing many cities to ban couples from dancing the Charleston. This week’s show has it all… dirty dancing, illegal speakeasies, and a heroic rescue effort.
The Pickwick Collapse and the Charleston
- New England Watch and Ward Society annual reports from 1919 and 1921 blame jazz for a decline in morals.
- Music publishers fight back against moralistic Boston censors.
- The Wicked Waltz and Other Scandalous Dances, by Mark Knowles outlines how dances like the Charleston scandalized early 20th century America.
- Initial coverage of the disaster from the Boston Globe and the Associated Press.
- AP follow up stories on the recovery efforts and legal proceedings on July 6, July 7, July 11, July 12, July 14, and July 16.
- Blaming the Charleston (see also The Wicked Waltz).
- Changes to make the Charleston more chaste.
- Pictures of the collapse from Getty and Tufts. Header image via UMass
Featured Historic Site
All the way down on the South Coast, you will find the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The permanent collection includes thousands of artifacts and documents from the heyday of New England whaling, a half scale whaling ship that’s 89 feet long, and five complete whale skeletons. For the next few months, they’re also exhibiting a spectacular painting at the nearby Kilburn Mill.
At 1,275 feet long, the panoramic painting The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World is the longest painting in America. Here’s how the museum website describes it:
The Panorama is a maritime artwork of national historical importance, authentically depicting a whaling voyage originating from the port of New Bedford in the mid-19th century. It was painted in 1848, by New Bedford artists Caleb Purrington and Benjamin Russell, who traveled it around the country as a commercial enterprise. The panorama as a form of public entertainment was developed in Europe in the late 18th century and subsequently made its way to the United States after demonstrating its commercial potential to an armchair traveler audience. A “panorama” as defined by Robert Barker, who patented this exhibition style, means “all view.” He felt that spectators should feel like they were “really on the very spot,” that they should feel as if they were part of the scene in a surrogate reality, an imaginary “Grand Tour” of the world. This is precisely what visitors will experience.
In the late 1840’s and early 1850’s (proceeding the age of cinema) the Panorama was designed and performed as a moving panorama, a form of entertainment where multiple scrolls moved across a stage similar to how a reel-to-reel film would later be shown.
This amazing painting is being shown publicly for the first time in decades, but only through October 8th. The panorama is on display at Kilburn Mill from 9am to 5pm daily, with no admission fee. The whaling museum itself keeps the same hours, but costs $17 for adults.
Upcoming Event(s)
The first event we’re highlighting this week is a brown bag lunch session at the Massachusetts Historical Society. On Monday, August 6, archaeologist Madeline Kearin of Brown University will lead a discussion titled “Sensory Experiences of Daily Life at New England Hospitals for the Insane”
The MHS website describes it as:
Despite their reputation as sites of abuse and neglect, 19th-century hospitals for the insane were originally envisioned as “technological marvels” that would solve the national mental health crisis. This talk examines how New England lunatic hospitals were designed to mobilize sensory experience to cure mental illness, and how these designs shaped patient experiences.
The talk begins at noon at the Massachusetts Historical Society on Boylston Street. It’s free, and registration is not required. Bring a lunch to enjoy while you listen.
Because we know not everyone can get to the Back Bay at lunchtime, we also have a bonus event this week. Also on August 6, at 6:30pm, author Anthony Sammarco will be giving a talk about the industrial history of the Neponset River.
If you enjoyed the story of the Mother Brook last week, you already know what a rich industrial history the Neponset River has. From the first gristmill at Dorchester lower falls in 1634 to the creation of the Mother Brook to the founding of Baker Chocolate, mills along the Neponset pushed innovation forward throughout the early history of Massachusetts.
Learn more at the Adams branch of the Boston Public Library in Dorchester at 6:30pm on Monday, August 6. The event it free, and registration is not required.