THE people

Lolla Quinlan

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

DATE OF BIRTH:

DATE OF DEATH:

GENDER:

OTHER KNOWN NAMES:

ETHNICITY:

KNOWN ADDRESS:

RELATED TO:

AT THE TIME OF the fire

AGE:

MARITAL STATUS:

ROLE:

Theatre Contractor

ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATION:

Bluebeard Company

ORGANIZATIONAL ROLE:

Performer

other information

CEMETERY:

MORGUE:

IDENTIFIED BY:

OTHER NOTES:

"Lolla Quinlan, one of Bluebeard's eight dancers, saved the life of one of her companions, Violet Sidney, at the peril of her own. The two girls, with five others, were in a dressing room on the fifth floor when the alarm was raised. In their haste Miss Sidney caught her foot and sank to the floor with a cry of pain. She had sprained her ankle. The others, with the exception of Miss Quinlan, fled down the stairs.

"Grasping her companion around the waist Miss Quinlan dragged her down the stairs to the stage and crossed the boards during a rain of fiery brands. These two were the last to leave the stage. Miss Quinlan's right arm and hand were painfully burned and her face was scorched. Miss Sidney's face was slightly burned. Both were taken to the Continental hotel." (McCurdy, page 81)

CITATION:

McCurdy, D. B. (1904). Lest We Forget: Chicago's Awful Theater Horror. Chicago: Memorial Publishing Company

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Judy Cooke

help tell the story...

If you have more information about this person or the Iroquois Theatre Fire, we'd love to hear from you. We're constantly adding new information to our collection to help tell the whole story of the Iroquois Theatre Fire and the thousands of lives affected by the tragedy of that night.

Contact ITFHS

PO Box 2013
Arlington Heights, IL
60006-2013
PHONE: 224-764-1284
EMAIL: info@iroquoistheatrefire.org

The Iroquois Theatre Fire Historical Society (ITFHS) was founded to keep alive the memory of the disaster, victims, survivors, heroes, and anyone affected by the tragedy.

Learn More