One hundred and thirty-five years ago today, a devastating flood swept through Johnstown, Pennsylvania and neighboring communities. On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed following torrential rain, releasing a massive volume of fast-moving water from Lake Conemaugh. The resulting flood led to the loss of more than 2,200 lives.
Photographers and artists did the important work of documenting the aftermath of the disaster, often in formats that were meant to be widely distributed.
Some photographs, like those below, offer a visible sense of the scale of damage in Johnstown. The estimates of lives lost included in the caption are higher here than in the final official counts:
These stereograph cards by George Barker from his “Barker’s Stereoscopic Gems of American Scenery” series make clear the level of damage done to the built environment. The ironic historical caption for the first image, describing a “slightly damaged house,” provides evidence that publishers in this format not only documented historic events, but were intent on grabbing the attention of potential customers.
Artist William Allen Rogers drew this “News sketch of Johnstown Flood,” featuring a locomotive surrounded by logs and other debris.
Extensive relief efforts were necessary following the disaster. A tent camp can be seen at right in this photograph:
Displaced people in need of sustenance gather at a relief station in this image:
Additional photos from the collection show that collective memory of the calamity remained strong years and decades after the disaster occurred.
Learn More:
- View additional images related to the 1889 Johnstown Flood.
- Explore more Stereograph Cards from the collection.
- Peruse additional drawings by William Allen Rogers.