Disaster Thru the Lens by Graham Lee

Description

Disaster thru the Lens

 The Eastland Fellowship Authority at the Center for History will commemorate the 98^th anniversary of S.S. Eastland Disaster on Sunday, July 28, 2013 at 3 p.m., 315 W. Front St., 2nd Floor, Wheaton, IL.  Graham Lee will present the life of his great uncle, Jun Fujita, in Disaster thru the Lens. Fujita was working as a photographer for the Chicago Daily News on July 24, 1915 and captured images of the Eastland Disaster from moments after the ship capsized through the 844 funerals.  More than 7,000 Western Electric employees, family and friends were scheduled to sail to Michigan City, IN for a company outing.  Six ships were chartered with the Eastland departing first.  Even before leaving the dock in the Chicago River the S.S. Eastland tipped on her side and rested on the bottom of the river.  Fujita’s photos depict the raw reality of Chicago’s greatest loss of life tragedy along with the brave efforts of those helping to rescue individuals and comfort the grieving.

Fujita’s lens captured routine Chicago news and he was present during the 1919 Race Riots and the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.  He was also an acclaimed poet and gifted nature photographer and artist.

After Lee’s presentation, guests are invited to share their Eastland stories and photos.  Every year family members with a connection to the disaster enjoy these conversations and share a special bond with each other.  New and old friends are comforted by each other with dignity and respect but most of all a pledge to never forget that fateful day.

Frames of the Eastland, an exhibit in the Eastland Gallery, features photos of the tragedy taken by Fujita.  Some have never been displayed or published while others are well-known images of the disaster.   The exhibit is enhanced with Eastland artifacts, newspapers, and documents along with vintage clothing from the era.