Blizzard of 1922: Knickerbocker Theater Disaster

Hand cranked newsreel footage (silent) of the Knickerbocker Theater disaster during the worst snowstorm in Washington DC history, January 27-28, 1922. I used this footage in my documentary TWENTY FIVE CENTS BEFORE NOON which aired on WETA in 1990
http://www.vimeo.com/4240048

After the newsreel (shown twice), I include stills from the Library of Congress prints and photographs division.

For more information about the snowstorm, and the tragic collapse of the Knickerbocker Theater roof which killed 98 persons, here are some links
http://dckaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/lost-washington-the-knickerboc...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knickerbocker_Storm
http://www.shorpy.com/images/photos/knick.gif

Thanks, Jeff Krulik

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Washington
• DC
• Blizzard
• Weather

[GinniG1]

My grandmother's sister and a friend died in this tragedy. My grandparents were both supposed to go and didn't because of the storm. It's amazing how one decision affected so many lives! If they had been killed that day my mother would never have been born, and thus my brothers, myself, my daughter and my grandsons would not have been born either! So very sad!

[badmonkeyart]

A great aunt of mine experienced this disaster as a child. She was at the theater with her father, who was killed. I have a videotape of her from a few years ago, when she was still alive, in which I asked her about it. She had a great interest in theater until her death and wrote plays even in her retirement home (her favorite playwright was Harold Pinter) but she always insisted on sitting in the balcony--never beneath it.

[cboatner]

I learned about this while visiting Congressional Cemetery. 

[MrJerf55]

Thank you for sharing this film. My Grandfather was with the Marines and while stationed in DC was a part of the rescue and clean-up effort. He described it to me when I was a young man. Very sad.

[trumanthecat]

Thanks for sharing this. My great-great aunt died in the theater, and it's amazing to be able to see it. THanks again.

[justinbeiberluver13]

my mom keeps telling me over and over about this so i just looked it up...thats soo sad!!!

[jimrbrtshw]

My grandmother was the piano player for the show that night. Due to an illness of a close family member, she called in absent. Her replacement died under the roof collapse.

[tombarnes12]

my great-grandparents, Captain Reginald Henley Conroy Vance and his wife Clarissa Brown Vance of Fredericksburg perished in the Knickerbocker disaster. They were staying at their city apartment at the Highlands on Connecticut Avenue and had decided to watch the move on the spur of the moment. my grandfather was away at school and his sister was back at the apartment, so they both survived.

[efsbodc]

That location is not where the Columbia Hts. Metro stands (at 14th St.).The Knickerbocker site was at 18th St. & Columbia Rd. in Adams Morgan.

[matrox]

Thats like looking back in time. Most of the buildings in the background are still there. The Columbia Hts Metro station is now where the Knickerbocker used to be.