The National Police Gazette

The National Police Gazette, the original men’s magazine, was a seminal tabloid that didn’t only publicize the lurid details of crimes, capers, and commotions (hence the “Police” in the title), but also reported on the boards of Broadway, burlesque, and the world of sport. All illustrated in the most sensational way possible, these magazines could be found splayed open in barber shops, clubs, and other areas of exclusively male congregation all throughout Gilded Age America. This popularity, and a willingness to address the sensitive issues of its day (even in its own titillating way), makes the Police Gazette a fantastic source for cultural historians. This particular issue from 1904 covers the Iroquois Theater Fire disaster in Chicago, the deadliest single building fire in American history, with a sensationalism and panache typical of its trade.