Unknown Carnival, 1985
Today I'm going to share a series of pictures from 1985 (January, if you can believe the date stamp on the slides) featuring an anonymous fair or carnival, in Somewheresville USA. The heart of America! These are pretty fun images, showing lots and lots of typical attractions that you might see in traveling amusements, even to this day. With my minimal knowledge of such rides, I will rely on YOU, the true heroes.
First up is this wacky funhouse with an American history theme - I guess it was called the Rocking White House? Somehow I'd expect a funhouse to be a bit larger - this one looks pretty small. Still, as long as there was real risk of injury, I would have been satisfied.
Oh boy, fly your own WWI airplane, just like Snoopy! I assume that the one closest to us is a Sopwith Camel, and he's right on the tail of the Red Baron, who survived to make delicious frozen pizzas.
Well. I do believe that this is yet another WWI airplane ride. You can't have too many. In the background, there is a small Ferris Wheel, along with booths where you can get hamburgers, beverages, and hopefully some sort of fried dough. Or soft serve ice cream, oh yeah!
SO MANY RIDES! To the left we can see a sign advertising "James E. Strates Shows". From Wikipedia: Strates Shows, Inc. is a family operated traveling carnival midway company based in Orlando, Florida. It provides amusement rides, games and concessions for local, county and state fairs throughout the United States. Strates Shows [until 2019] was the only midway company left in the country that transported their personnel and equipment by train during its annual seven-month season.
Some of you might not be able to handle going around in circles in a WWI biplane, so maybe a whirlybird is more your speed. Or maybe even a flying saucer! There is something to satisfy the pickiest customer. Don't eat a corn dog until after you've done the spinning rides, OK?
Signs: they're helpful! I see that the attraction to the left is called the Yoyo, while that Ferris Wheel variant is called the Twister.
I hope you have enjoyed visiting this Unknown Carnival!
18 comments:
It looks like there are a few gags painted onto that funhouse facade. I see what looks like maybe Andrew Jackson's name, covered over by a banner with another name on it....."Jessie," perhaps? But then that is covered over by the name "Michael." They were all Jacksons and they all ran for president at some point, right? Right? Lenny Bruce's name is also up there.
I believe the ride behind the funhouse is called a "Falling Star." Knott's put one in Fiesta Village back in 1987, and it replaced the Fiesta Wheel (Trabant) and Mexican Whip (Tilt-A-Whirl) rides.
Knott's also has a Red Baron biplane ride, which started out in the Roaring 20s Airfield, and was then moved to Camp Snoopy, where it has had two different locations over the years, making three separate locations within Knott's. I'm not sure it's still there, after the remodeling of Camp Snoopy last year.
I used to love these type of carnivals. I'm not sure if I would trust the safety of the rides, today. I probably shouldn't have trusted them back then, but when you're young, you don't always worry about that kind of thing.
Thanks, Major!
Major, I think that "Twister" sign is for the ride in front of the Ferris Wheel-looking ride (the "Sky Diver"). And I would like to know more about that Twister ride, and also the one labeled "Hurricane" (4th photo). Was that basically just a "Rocket Jets" type of ride? I know Ken or Andrew will know!
Yay! More canival pics!
1) I'm not sure if the funhouse is named the "Rocking White House", or if that name only applies to the cage-like structure it's written on; which apparently rocks/tilts back and forth. But I don't see any other name prominently featured so maybe that is the name?
2) If we could figure out what the writing says on that electrical truck, maybe that would give us a clue as to where this is? That airplane ride sure has a lot of 'spaghetti' tangled up amongst the hydraulic mechanisms. (Or are they pneumatic?)
3) Strange to have two, almost identical airplane rides. This one look a little more well-built; better lights, better decorations... Papa Johns. The food stands feature "Italian Sausage" and "Italian Cheese [something]". Maybe "Italian" is a clue? Although, it also features "London Broil" sooo...
4) Yeah, there are so many rides here that it would get confusing to name them all. There sure are a lot of guys wearing denim jackets and jeans! Maybe that's the 'uniform' of the Strates carnival workers? Everyone is dressed warmly, some with hands in pockets. So maybe this IS in January?
5) Strange looking flying saucers; they have an umbrella-like roof over them. I like that big pineapple next to the Corndogs sign. Wonder what they sell there? Probably pizza.
6) I think the "Twister" sign goes to that ride in front of the "Ferris Wheel variant" (which is a SkyDiver). I'm not familiar with the Twister ride.
Tokyo!, I see you copied what I had written about the Twister and SkyDiver rides. :-D The Hurricane ride (I rode it once or twice) has pneumatic arms that swing the cars higher and higher (all at the same time) in a fast, repetitive up-and-down manner as the cars go around the central tower. When they reach their highest point, the air escapes the pneumatics, producing a loud sound.
I enjoyed myself at the carnival, Major. (You're paying, right?)
BTW, a "canival" is a carnival for cannibals. In case you didn't know. (I shoulda did a better spellcheck.)
I know for a fact that this is in Alton, Ohio. I also know for a fact that I totally made that up. I Googled "Alton, Ohio" to see if that place even exists, and apparently it's a "neighborhood" in Ohio? So who knows, I could be right! I'm psychic! Or confused!
I have to lie down now from all the spinning rides...
JB, “Italian Beef.” A Midwest favorite with Italian Sausage (and both together in one sandwich is called a “Combo,” in my area).
In the last picture, behind the “Yo-yo” ride, is (was) my favorite carnival ride, when I was MUCH younger, the Zipper (that’s what it was called in the Midwest). That thing really spun and whipped you, once it got goIng. It would kill me now.
Fun day at the carnival! Thank you, Major. Now all I need to make my day complete is to get a funnel cake with LOTS of powdered sugar on top….
I wonder if this was a county fair? It reminds me of the Fresno Fair midway or that in Yreka for Siskiyou County. Weather looks cool, lots of jacket collars turned up.
You can never have too many WWI airplane rides, what if one broke down, only half the kids could ride. I’m surprised they had so many German planes though, isn’t that like white horses on the carousel? Everyone would want the Sopwith Camels.
I think I’ve seen that helicopter ride, the alternating vehicles are a fanciful cross between flying saucers and the Starship Enterprise, and the Ferris Wheel with the spinning capsules too. That one is just primed for a Code V Protein Spill. The yo-yo is similar to the Silly Symphony Swings at DCA, which I like very much.
Sue, I will have a combo and a funnel cake! Let’s all have a good day the Fair! Thank you Major!
JG
So much double denim! Given that they all seem to be lone men, I think JB is right in saying that they're carnies and this must have been the uniform.
Kids just love political humor, TokyoMagic! I see Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford (with his name helpfully on his shirt), with the latter kicking a Watergate tape maybe? Also a reference to Wendell Willkie! I thought there was a Siamese Pirates Show in the back of pic 2 until reading further. Thanks for a fun fair day, Major.
I'm fascinated by that first picture... the artwork is captivating. Strates Carnival company must have had some artists dying to create outrageous graphics, just look at some of the posters on their History page:
https://stratescarnivalcompany.com/history
Thanks, Major, fun photos indeed
TokyoMagic!, yes, there are lots of jokes on the facade of the funhouse, probably many that we can’t quite see in the photo. President Michael Jackson’s inauguration is best-remembered when 150,000 people did the “Thriller” dance. Thank you for the info about the various rides - funny that you mentioned the biplane ride, I have a slide that shows what I am almost sure is that ride at Knott’s in the Roaring 20’s Airfield, even though it is unlabeled. There is an annual carnival in my mom’s town, and it used to have many classic rides, though now it has been reduced to two Ferris wheels and a lot of lame, tiny kiddie rides that are mostly designed to fit on a truck rather than to be fun or exciting.
TokyoMagic!, yes, I’m sure you are right, in fact I just wrote a blog post with a “Sky Diver” ride recently, but by then had forgotten about today’s post! “Hurricane” certainly looks like a “spinny rocket” ride.
JB, yeah, it’s hard to know what exactly is going on with that very busy funhouse facade. I tried to decipher any text in these in case there was a clue as to the location, but I didn’t find anything useful. That doesn’t mean that I saw it all though. As we’ve learned from DCA, parents often want there to be rides for the tiny tots, I guess so they don’t feel left out? Airplane rides are a staple of this kind of place. I wear all-denim all the time, and even have denim pajamas. Acid washed, naturally, I’m not a barbarian. I somehow missed the giant pineapple, maybe they served slushies? I’ve seen places sell pineapple chunks on a stick too (possibly frozen).
JB, I thought a canival was a carnival for dogs.
Stu29573, darn, you got me, I was all ready to praise your powers of deduction.
Lou and Sue, I feel like one of the many YouTube chefs I like to watch has made an Italian Beef sandwich, I thought it just had ground beef with some sort of cheese melted in? Maybe using sausage is a variation on a theme. They look freakin’ delicious! I’ve never had one, but then again, I have never had a Philly cheesesteak, much to my shame. The Zipper, I swear I remember thinking that I was going to break my teeth on a steel bar that was in front of me!
JB, this fair could be anywhere, of course, but somehow I don’t get a California vibe from it. Maybe I just expect a palm tree or two to pop up in the background? I’m guessing that the German planes were a result of the fame of the Red Baron in popular culture, but it’s just a guess. Those helicopter rides were everywhere - I have to admit that they don’t look that fun to me, and yet you see them in vintage photos of carnivals and fairs, from the smallest to even one at POP. Jean Shepherd has a great story about his family going to a carnival, including a vignette in which the author goes on a ride after eating a giant pickle and other delights. You can predict the results!
Pegleg Pete, I suppose that the denim would be practical, it’s tough, and maybe even warm enough when the weather is cool.
Kathy!, I have to give the designer of that funhouse facade a lot of credit, a visitor could stand there and get some fun out of the jokes and not pay a cent to go inside!
LTL, for some reason the jokes on that funhouse remind me a little bit of “MAD” magazine! I saw that Strates website, and should have linked to it, so thank you for doing it!
A big day for Chance Rides on GDB today.
In the first pic, I believe TokyoMagic! is correct in that it is a Chance Falling Star. The top of it gives it away for me.
In the second to last pic is the Hurricane manufactured by Dartron.
In the last pic there are several flat rides manufactured by Chance Rides. Visible are Yo-Yo, SkyDiver, Zipper and Twister which is a rare classic.
Forgot to mention that the Red Baron is also a Chance ride. Not sure about the Copter ride though.
K. Martinez, I was hoping you would check in today! I knew you would appreciate those wonderful classic rides (though I did not know they were mostly Chance rides). I don’t know how many of these still exist in the world for people to enjoy - I’m afraid they will “age out” and be replaced with stuff that is less fun (see my comment to TokyoMagic!).
K. Martinez, it seems like Strates Shows must have had a deal with Chance, using so many of their rides. Buy three, get one free?
Ken, thanks for checking in, I always enjoy your old carnival ride info.
JG
What a whimsical fun house facade! Like K. Martinez mentioned, the first Red Baron is a Chance product. Some of these Red Baron rides started their lives as Allan Herschell Helicopter rides and were then retrofitted with the Red Baron planes after Chance merged with Herschell. The second Red Baron ride, as well as the helicopter ride (known as the "Mini Enterprise"), are Zamperla products. Kennywood had a Mini Enterprise identical to this one I rode many times. Thanks to K. Martinez for identifying all the other rides! If you look really closely at the picture with the Hurricane that features lots of rides, you can see an Enterprise starting to lift into the air behind the Super Loop. Very impressive to see both this ride and the Falling Star on the fair circuit! Thanks for the post, Major.
TokyoMagic! I see Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford (with his name helpfully on his shirt), with the latter kicking a Watergate tape maybe?
Kathy!, I had to go back and look at the photo again, but I see them now! You are right, it looks like Ford is kicking a "reel to reel" tape recorder. There is a little "speech balloon" coming from the recorder. I wish we could read what it says! Oh, I just took another look, and there is a banana peel up in the air, in front of Ford. I wonder if he was supposed to be slipping on it and crashing into the tape recorder. Wasn't he very prone to accidents, during his term?
I am going to posit that these slides may represent two different carnivals. The presence of both Strates Shows and, uh, Siamese Pirates Shows (or whatever the side of that trailer actually said) and two different biplane rides could suggest two separate events. There’s also a possibility that it could be the same carnival in two different, parallel universes. Look closely and see if you can spot the same guy in more than one picture, but with a goatee in one of them.
I remember the helicopter ride actually being a lot of fun as a kid. They had one at the Toledo (OH - nowhere near Alton) Zoo, and it was in an area with plenty of trees and greenery. It worked essentially the same as Dumbo or the AstroJets, just smaller. Being able to control your altitude with the bar in front of you gave you a sense of power, and riding it helped build my confidence that I could (and would) survive bigger and scarier-looking rides.
This was fun, Major. Thanks!
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