The Great Lafayette and the Empire Theatre Fire

May 2011 marked the 100th anniversary of the devastating fire at the Empire Palace Theatre which killed the master illusionist and self-proclaimed 'Man of Mystery', the Great Lafayette. The Great Lafayette was a reclusive superstar who travelled across the world to perform his elaborate stage acts.

On the evening of 9th May 1911, the Great Lafayette was on stage and performing 'The Lion's Bride', an extraordinary show including a real lion, a horse and several actors in supporting roles. In the middle of the finale, a faulty stage light set some material alight. The fire quickly took hold. Fortunately, the fire safety curtain prevented the spread of the fire and enabled the entire 3000 members of the audience to escape unscathed. However, the performers and those behind scenes were less fortunate. In total, 10 people lost their lives in the fire.

This exhibition includes images from the collections of the Museum of Fire taken at the scene of the blaze, Lafayette's death certificate, a programme from the day before Lafayette's last performance (slightly singed!) and some wonderful pictorial programme covers spanning the theatre's history from the collections of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries.

Discover the story of Arthur Pordage Edinburgh's Firemaster at the time of the Empire Theatre Fire.