Blackstone, Harry (Henry Boughton). Decatur Theatre Fire Ephemera. 1942. Including four vintage photographs, three later photographs, and two newspaper clippings related to Blackstone’s famous clearing of the Lincoln Theatre in 1942 after the building next door caught fire. In one image, Blackstone looks on at the blaze from the street. Others show the cast removing props from the theatre, and the fire brigade outside. The largest 8 x 10”. On the second stop on Blackstone’s 1942 tour, he played the Lincoln Theatre in Decatur, Illinois. Before the first bunny matinee show began, a building adjacent to the theatre caught fire. Keeping a cool head, Blackstone acted calmly and decisively at hearing the news. After the curtain opened, Blackstone said, “Boys and girls, today we’re going to attempt something never before performed by a magician – a trick so large we can’t do it inside the theatre. The side exit doors are going to be opened and we are all going outside to see the trick. My assistant will be out among you, so anyone shouting, talking, running, or pushing, will be sent back to their seat and not allowed to see the trick.” As the theatre emptied, Blackstone’s crew rushed to remove the props, drapes, and trunks, and set them in the alley behind the theatre. No lives were lost, but in an ironic twist, Blackstone’s stage manager, Ted Banks, died the same night in his hotel room.