"A" Mill Explosion

Title: Photograph of the Victims
Type: Photograph
Date: 1920
Source: The Eventually News

Description: The Washburn "A" Mill explosion did not just claim the lives of workers in one mill. Included in these photographs are the pictures of four men who died in neighboring mills.

Activities:

1. What in these photographs might suggest to us that these were posed and not "candid" shots?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: All of the men are dressed up in the photographs and seem to be posed in front of some kind of photographer's back drop or curtain. If these were candid photographs, we might see them at work or outdoors and in more casual clothing.
2. This collage of photographs was published years after the explosion in a memorial edition of a newspaper. Why do you think the newspaper would have published an issue about the event so many years later?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: The explosion had a great effect on the people and community of Minneapolis at the time. Newspapers or magazines often publish or republish accounts of significant events in memorial editions. Occasionally new information about the cause of the event is discovered, or it may just be the anniversary of the event and the newspaper wanted to honor those who died in the explosion in this way.
3. Fourteen of the men killed worked in the Washburn "A" Mill at the time of the explosion. What does the fact that four people in neighboring mills also died tell you about the power of the explosion?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: The fact that four workers in other mills also died shows us that the force of the explosion was very strong and also that debris could have been thrown a great distance.
4. What can these photos tell you about hair and clothing styles at the time?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: Beards were popular, as well as mustaches. Short hair was fashionable for men. Bow ties and suit jackets were worn for formal photographs.