Love Under Fire: The Story of Bertha and Potter Palmer

This brief, narrowly focused biography traces the history of Potter Palmer, a mogul who lost a fortune during Chicago's Great Fire of 1871, and his wife, Bertha, a society grand dame and social activist. Potter had gained his wealth in the dry goods business, introducing concepts such as customer service, the bargain basement, and a liberal return policy before selling it all to Marshall Field and investing the proceeds in real estate. As a wedding gift for their 1870 marriage, he built the Palmer House Hotel, finished just 13 days before the conflagration that destroyed it and 31 other buildings Palmer owned. At Bertha's urging, he took out a $1.7 million loan, the largest ever granted to a single person at the time, to replace the structure with a fireproof version. Along with entertaining royalty and dressing in the highest fashion, Bertha worked for equal rights for women and poor children. Additionally, 36 Impressionist paintings donated by the Palmers form the backbone of the Chicago Art Institute's collection. Writer-director Amelia Dellos traces the Palmers' lives with the usual panning of old photographs, interspersed with interviews of historians and descendants. Recommended for regional libraries in Illinois, this is a strong optional purchase elsewhere. Aud: P. (F. Gardner)