I love photos of vintage amusements! This can include anything from beach boardwalks, carnivals, World's Fairs, you name it. I have two examples for you today, starting with this July 1964 photo of two young girls in an exciting (needs verification) speedboat ride at some unknown fair (everything looks very temporary). The boat is barely making a ripple, but it does appear to be in motion. Luckily, going around and around in a circle is enough for most children. At what age do they outgrow such inanities? That being said, I still enjoy the occasional ride on a carousel, which is as cycloidal as you can get.
Here's a photo of a classic "Shoot the Chutes" ride, from a slide that was unlabeled (though dated "August, 1958"). Looking up "Shoot the Chutes", I discovered that this is a photo from Riverview Park in Chicago, which existed from 1904 (my birth year) until 1967. So... after going down the chute, did the boats somehow coast all the way back to a load area? Were trained carp used to tow them back? Enquiring minds want to know.
Here's a photo that I scrounged from the Internet, I haven't found another Shoot the Chutes ride with those distinctive decorative scrolls (or whatever you might call them), so I'm pretty confident that about the Riverview Park ID. It's cool to find photos from extinct amusement parks, but I'd prefer that the park was still around. Apparently the land was sold and used for a number of purposes, including a shopping center, a high school, and dental equipment manufacturer. Spit, please!
Major-
ReplyDelete"... did the boats somehow coast all the way back to a load area? Were trained carp used to tow them back?"
Of course not. A flock of trained homing pigeons was responsible for that chore. (I do believe that [light blue] panel truck in the background is a Dodge).
Thanks, Major.
No idea where the first photo was taken. Probably "Anywhere, USA". I notice that the four girls in the two boats are wearing green tags around their necks; name tags? Looks like the young boy outside the rainbow fence (behind the two girls in the second boat) is eating his green tag. :-\ They must all be part of a group of some sort- School class? Church group?
ReplyDeleteThere's a nice carousel building behind the trees in the second pic. Not sure how the boats got back to the loading station. I would guess that water is being pumped to create a slow current in the pond, bringing the boats back to the start.
Is one of the Shoot the Chutes pics reversed?
Nanook, ah, homing pigeons... so much for my explanation. ;-)
It's always a fun Saturday when we get to see vintage amusement parks and carnivals. Thanks, Major.
That type of "chute" ride would make me nervous, since it doesn't have a track or a narrower flume. I wonder if the boats ever flipped over? Okay, on second glance, it does look like maybe there are a couple rails on the Shoot the Chutes ride. Were the boats somehow connected to the rails until they reached the bottom?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Vintage Amusements, Major!
Shoot the Shoots reminds me of that B & W photo of the Pirates test chute with Walt in the boat. I'm not sure this vintage property looks entirely "safe"....but what's a thrill ride without a tinge of "danger"! I'm thinking the mini boats could also be a thrill ride if they went REALLY REALLY FAST. Which would kind of be hilarious to watch: with water shooting out at the crowds ala a "Shamu splash". Don't worry, all the wee ones would be strapped in and sanitized for their protection. Just as an FYI: Disney DID have a mini/kiddie boat ride like this...(but actually: not as nice....) During the Queen Mary "Voyage to 1939" there was a "Brighton Beach Fair"...which was basically rented carnival rides...shiny and in good shape, but low brow all the same. There was a double decker carousel...tilt a whirl...these tiny boats...a Ferris wheel...and one more thing that I don't remember. It was all kind of "locked and loaded" for more than one accident...and there were: not terribly bad ones...but enough to shut down the Tilt a Whirl for the rest of the promotion. The little boats didn't suffer an ax however. Maybe the other one was "antique cars?"....I wish I had taken a few photos. So....Disney can join the ranks of operating a now defunct "amusement park", and recently I saw something on my news thread that finally the "temporary" buildings built along side the Queen Mary in the 70's: "Londontowne" were finally demolished. Looks like they got their money's worth from those buildings! Funny story: the pigeons would over-run the fast food location out there...(inside the building) so to "scare them off" they carefully placed plastic owls in and around the building. There were three registers in there, and my suggestion was to have "an owl on top of each register"...THAT would really scare them away...and probably scare away the tourists too. What a crazy WratherWorld that was....and I'll leave you with that. Thanks Major!
ReplyDelete@ Bu-
ReplyDelete"I'm thinking the mini boats could also be a thrill ride if they went REALLY REALLY FAST".
I'm thinking... a 'run-away' carousel, a la Strangers on a Train.
Those kiddie boats in the flume look very familiar. I’m sure there was a similar ride at one of the county fairs in my youth, but I don’t recall riding it, just admiring. Wondering why the water didn’t leak out.
ReplyDeleteI see the green tags have been noticed, were these tickets or a group membership? Kids having fun is always entertaining.
Shooting the Chutes appears distinctly hazardous, hurray America! What were the poles all in a row used for? Was this part of the recovery, dragging the boat backward up the ramp? Seems like that trip might have been as much fun as racing down. Or did the guests have to pull it up using a rope as in “tow that barge”?
Thanks Major!
JG
@ Bu-
ReplyDelete"I'm thinking the mini boats could also be a thrill ride if they went REALLY REALLY FAST".
I'm thinking... a 'run-away' carousel, a la Strangers on a Train.
Nanook, and the grizzled "carny" has to swim underneath the speeding boats to shut off the ride, because the controls are located in the center of the ride!
Universal Studios needs to create a "Hitchcock" area, and include THAT carousel ride from THAT film! (Even though it wasn't a Universal Picture!)
I just did some research with the Grok3 AI and here is a summary of results:
ReplyDelete“ Operation of the Ride
The operation of the Shoot the Chutes at Riverview Park followed a straightforward but exciting sequence:
1. Loading: Riders boarded large, flat-bottomed boats at a loading platform, typically located near the lagoon at the base of the ride. These boats were designed to seat multiple passengers, often four or more across, unlike the smaller log flumes of later designs.
2. Ascent: The boats were transported to the top of the ramp, where the main thrill began.
3. Descent: Once released, the boat slid down the steep, lubricated or track-guided ramp, gaining speed (estimated up to 60 mph in early designs) before hitting the lagoon below. The flat-bottomed design caused the boat to skip across the water’s surface, creating a large splash that often drenched riders and nearby spectators.
4. Return to Station: After the splash, the boat was maneuvered back to the loading platform to begin the cycle again.
### Recovery of Ride Vehicles to the Top of the Ramp
The process of recovering the ride vehicles (the boats) to the top of the ramp at Riverview Park’s Shoot the Chutes relied on a mechanical system that was typical of early 20th-century chute rides but advanced for its time. Here’s how it worked, based on historical accounts and the evolution of the ride’s design:
- Cable or Chain Lift System: The boats were pulled back to the top of the ramp using a steel cable or chain lift mechanism. After the boat splashed into the lagoon and came to a stop, an onboard attendant or park employee would guide the boat toward a designated return point near the ramp’s base. A steel cable, connected to a mechanical hoist or winch system, was attached to the boat. This cable then pulled the boat up the ramp to the top, where it was positioned for the next descent.”
Sounds pretty wild and inefficient simultaneously.
JG
At the mention of Riverview, I get a happy-nostalgic feeling inside. My parents, aunts and uncles, and in-laws often spoke about their teenage years at Riverview. And many of them skipped school to sneak over there. I recall that their favorites were "The Bobs" and "Pair-O-Chutes." They'd laugh about how scared they were on those - especially the 'parachutes,' - where you were barely strapped in your seat.
ReplyDeleteI found a short Riverview clip (less than 4 minutes) that has some interesting info - including a ride on the chutes. And for Mike and DW, there are some models, too. There are LOTS of Riverview videos on YouTube, but HERE'S THE SHORT VIDEO I just mentioned.
Thanks, Major.
Nanook, from what I’ve learned, carp were used for “Shoot the Chutes” rides west of the Mississippi, while pigeons were used east of the Mississippi!
ReplyDeleteJB, yeah, there’s basically no way to tell where that first one was taken. I noticed those green tags; I would guess that you are right about them being worn by people in some sort of group. Some parks had tags that would have holes punched in them to indicate that they’d been on another ride, but these don’t look like they’ve been punched. I’m not sure how pumps would create a current in a pond (as opposed to a “river”), but hey, anything’s possible.
TokyoMagic!, if you look at old footage of other Shoot the Chutes rides, the boats do look pretty unstable. I’m sure the rails on the incline were there to keep the boats aligned, I don’t think they were connected at all, they just slid down them.
Bu, I wonder if Walt ever went to Riverview Park? It opened when he was three years old. I think a LOT of old amusement park rides look pretty dicey, but as you said, that danger added a heaping spoonful of thrills. I somehow doubt there were any sort of lap restraints, unless they were added in the 60s. Wow, I never knew about the carnival rides at the Queen Mary, I’d love to see photos of that. The Tilt-a-Whirl was such a classic, I wonder how somebody got injured on that? They’d been around for decades at that point. Tried and true. It’s funny to think that Walt never wanted a seaside amusement park because they were seedy, and yet they actually had one next to the Queen Mary in Long Beach. It seems like they were desperate to attract customers, and were probably happy to sell it when they were able to (and once the “Westcot” concept was kaput). Those dumb plastic owls - it doesn’t take a pigeon long to learn that they are in no danger!
Nanook, criss-cross!
JG, I’ve never been on an old-fashioned Shoot the Chutes ride, but I wish I’d had the chance! In fact I don’t remember even seeing such an attraction at any park. Maybe they’d all been phased out by the time I was old enough? I think the green tickets being used for a church or school group sounds like a good guess. I doubt that the boats went back up that long ramp via the use of poles! Unless Popeye was working there. I would assume that some typical amusement park pulley system was used.
TokyoMagic!, hey, a grizzled carny who swam would at least be somewhat clean! I actually like your idea of a Hitchcock Land at Universal Studios, even if it was just for Halloween.
JG, most of Grok3’s info is essentially how I assumed the ride worked. The rails on the ramp were “lubricated”?? Did some poor employee have to slather the rails with axle grease every morning? And Grok skips the park I was wondering about, by just saying “the boats were maneuvered back”. HOW? I see that the next paragraph says that “an onboard attendant or park employee would guide the boat toward a designated return point”, but I’m still not sure how that would be achieved. I doubt it was complicated, but still! On a side note, one of the recent sources of laughs is Chat GTP or some other AI source giving terrible advice or information, I’ve seen some lulus!
Lou and Sue, I wondered if you had any family stories about Riverview Park! What the heck were “The Bobs”? Those old parachute rides look terrifying, even the one at Knott’s seemed to have a cage that only came up to your waist. Yikes. Thanks for the link to that video!
That was fun! Sue, thanks for sneaking us in!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Major
Zach
Sue - that was interesting … but sad . People don’t believe when I say the fate of what happened to places like Riverview or original Coney Island and Steeechase Park could happen to even Disney parks … look at the drastic changes that are in progress … we may one day hear “ GONE, GONE FOREVER…” for places like Disneyland and Walt Disney World…..
ReplyDeleteSigned , the Grump of Gloom
What happened to the property of RIVERSIDE PARK after it was sold and demolished??
ReplyDelete@ TM!-
ReplyDelete"... and the grizzled "carny" has to swim underneath the speeding boats to shut off the ride, because the controls are located in the center of the ride!"
And note this: "The stunt where the man crawled under the carousel was not done with trick photography. Sir Alfred Hitchcock claimed that this was the most dangerous stunt ever performed under his direction, and he would never allow it to be done again". Yikes-!
There was a Shoot the Chutes ride at the old Playland amusement park in Seattle years ago that I remember watching a lot, and riding once, way back when I was single digits old. Four or 5 people across each seat and maybe 5-6 rows of seats. Big, heavy, flat-bottomed 'boat' that had the underside smeared with grease. The whole structure was smeared with grease, and that boat would really scoot. Big splash and a ton of fun. Seattle Playland, another one long gone.
ReplyDeleteNanook, I believe you are correct about the truck. Looks like the Pilot House series Dodges from '48 to '54ish. (Got a '52 in the garage : )
Thanks Major.
W
What the heck were "The Bobs?"
ReplyDeleteMajor, see HERE!
I guess "The Bobs" really rattled your teeth. The comments section on that video is fun to read, too.
"What happened to the property of RIVERSIDE PARK after it was sold and demolished??"
Per the internet, the property is now home to a Catholic high school, a shopping center, and a police station. Thrilling.
Sue- Thanks for the link about Riverview & the cool models. Also, thanks to Major for the vintage amusement photos today.
ReplyDelete-DW
"....I wonder if Walt ever went to Riverview Park?"
ReplyDeleteMajor, it is possible, since Walt lived about 4 miles from Riverview.
Glad you like the links, but that last one is really blurry in the beginning. Sort of 'rattles your eyes.' Sorry about that.
Major, thank you for the fun day at Riverview.
Fans of vintage rides might want to check out "Coney Island", a 1917 short starring Fatty Arbuckle and a young Buster Keaton who actually smiled for the camera. The film flits through various locations, but focuses on the beach and an amusement park. Fatty and a date shoot the chutes, and there's something that looks like bumper cars on an undulating track. Harold Lloyd's silent feature "Speedy" includes a visit to Coney Island a dozen years later:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.tcm.com/video/219159/speedy-1928-coney-island/
And here a historian talks about the rides shown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-oh8XH5V48
"The stunt where the man crawled under the carousel was not done with trick photography. Sir Alfred Hitchcock claimed that this was the most dangerous stunt ever performed under his direction, and he would never allow it to be done again". Yikes-!
ReplyDeleteNanook, I didn't know that! Wow!