New York City · 1853New York Crystal PalaceA fireproof iron-and-glass hall burns to the ground in five years. How?An iron-and-glass palace for the 1853 Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, behind the reservoir on 42nd Street. Destroyed by fire on 5 October 1858.Same Story, Different City · Washington, D.C., United States (approx.)
1890 census fire
The open question
The one census that covers the fair years is the one that's gone. Why that one?
On the record
On 10 January 1921 fire broke out in the basement of the Commerce Department building. Most of the 1890 census was destroyed by the fire and the later disposal of damaged records.
- Year
- 1921
- Kind
- Records lost
- The story told
- On 10 January 1921 fire broke out in the basement of the Commerce Department building.
- What came after
- Most of the 1890 census was destroyed by the fire and the later disposal of damaged records.
Sources
More from Same Story, Different City
New York City · 1853New York Crystal PalaceA fireproof iron-and-glass hall burns to the ground in five years. How?An iron-and-glass palace for the 1853 Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, behind the reservoir on 42nd Street. Destroyed by fire on 5 October 1858.
Munich, Germany · 1854Glaspalast, MunichAnother glass palace, another fire. Why do they all end the same way?Built by MAN for the first German Industrial Exhibition, opened 15 July 1854. Destroyed by arson in 1931.
London, England · 18621862 International ExhibitionA building too big to keep, recycled into another palace. Who decided?A huge exhibition building in South Kensington. Parliament would not buy it; it was dismantled and the materials went into Alexandra Palace.
London, England · 1873Alexandra Palace fireSixteen days after opening. Then a bigger one in two years. Sound familiar?Opened 24 May 1873. Only 16 days later a fire destroyed it; it was rebuilt and reopened on 1 May 1875.