Special Exhibit: Eastland Artifacts from 1915

A Free Exhibit in The Water Tower Visitors Center

Lookingglass proudly presents a special exhibition of artifacts from the SS Eastland currently on display in the Water Tower Visitors Center. The collection is on loan from the Eastland Fellowship Authority at the Center for History, Wheaton, IL and will remain open to the public through August 24, 2012.

The special exhibition was curated by the Eastland Fellowship Authority at the Center for History in Wheaton and includes rare artifacts from the SS Eastland disaster, including the program book for the ill-fated July 24, 1915 excursion; tickets for the July 24 excursion, as well as the ticket record book; a rescue diver collar, breathing tube and weight belt used during the disaster rescues; a deck chair from the SS Eastland; and the original letter sent to iron worker Elmer Nelson from the Chicago Coroner in recognition of his service in the Eastland disaster, as well as Elmer Nelson’s Coroner Star and wallet. The display includes rare photos of the tragedy, as well as facts & figures panels that compare the Eastland to the Titanic. The exhibit also features reproductions of newspaper front pages from the St. Louis Globe Democrat and Beloit Daily News, as well as informational panels about the disaster, the aftermath, and why the tragedy has been lost to history.

Special thanks to Alberta Adamson and the Eastland Fellowship Authority at the Center for History, Wheaton, IL

Photos from the exhibit

Photos by Ben Sussman