Lost Film: Les Mousquetaires de la reine (1903)

On June 13, 1903, the french silent film Les Mousquetaires de la reine, sold in the United States as The Queen's Musketeers and in Britain as The Musketeers of the Queen was released by Georges Méliès's company Star Film Company. It was numbered 460-461 in its catalogs. It's assumed that the film is now lost. It's believed to be based on Alexander Duma's novel The Three Musketeers. 

PLOT:

Before going to war with his neighbors the Kind reviews his men. The Queen's musketeers are young men considered the best. These young men maneuver in front of the King, Queen, and the Court performing the most difficult tactics.

 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Lost Media: A Guest of Honor (Lost Opera)

In 1903 "A Guest of Honor" is the first written Opera by famous ragtime composer Scott Joplin. The Opera was believed to be the dramatization of African American civil rights leader Booker T. Washington. It was based at the 1901 dinner Booker T. Washington had with President Rosevelt at the White House. An event that was unheard of at the time that got many praises and many complaints at the same time.

In 1903 Scott Joplin applied for the copyright to the opera with the Library of Congress. Unfortunately, he did not include a copy of the opera with his application and the application mentioned that his publisher John Stark, would publish the music. The music was never published though.

A company of 30 people would be established and they would tour across several states in the Midwest. The beginning of the end of the tour would happen early though. Someone stole the box office receipts and this damaged their financial situation. This lead to the tour ending in Pittsburg, Kansas when payroll and rent couldn't be afforded. 

As a result, Scott's belongings were confiscated including the opera score and sheets to other unknown compositions. Not being able to pay for the rent and getting his stuff back he left Pittsburg. These items were supposedly left inside of a trunk and no copy of the score has resurfaced likely being that it was destroyed. 

SOURCES:

Lost Media Wiki

Wikipedia

Oxford

December 30, 1903 Iroquois Theater fire Jane Doe

Image created by Charles N. Landon and published by the Tacoma Times

On December 30, 1903, the play Mr. Blue Beard was playing at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago Illinois. During the second act, the curtain was caught on fire possibly by an electrical short circuit. This made several of the theatergoers go into a panic. Some were calmed by the fact of an actor trying to keep them calm. But the theater was burning down around them so many tried to escape.

The fire extinguishers that the theater had were meant to be thrown at fires on the ground and were useless against this fire as it rose. Three exits were forced open but unluckily lead to unfinished fire escapes. Some of the doors opening caused the fire to increase. Many people were trampled, crushed and asphyxiated in the fire.

Even though the theater claimed before the fire that it was "absolutely fireproof" it was not. It had been noted by several people including the fire department captain, and the editor of Fireproof Magazine that it was not.  In fact, it was hazardous as the theater did not follow the ruled. The fire warden was warned, but because they knew the owner would ignore it. Unfortunately, the carelessness of the owners caused 602 people to die.

One of the victims were never identified.

The victim was a white woman around 50-year-old. Her face was still recognizable when she died. She is buried in Montrose Cemetary in Chicago.

SOURCES:
Unidentified Wiki
Wikipedia
Find a Grave