Mystery Amusements
Just between you and me and my collection of Post-Impressionist masterpieces, I like looking at old photos of amusement parks and carnivals/fairs. It's true! I first admitted it on "Geraldo" back in 1989. Yes, I threw a chair at somebody.
Here's an undated slide featuring a death-defying high dive act. As if that wasn't enough, the daredevil is in flames! Pretty exciting. That tank of water doesn't look very deep, but if he does it juuust right, he'll be OK. Except that there are also hundreds of piranhas in the tank. As the sign in the lower left tells us, we're watching the U.S.A. High Diving Team. They won the Gold Medal in Montreal in 1976, a memorable upset. I have no idea where this thrilling show took place, but maybe the lighthouse out on that jetty will give one of you a clue.
This next one was scanned from a clipped color negative, and it was a pain to scan. But I'm no hero! When I held it up to the light, it was obvious that this was an amusement park or fair of some kind. Now that it is scanned (yes, I agree, it doesn't look that great) I'm guessing that the photo might be from the 1990s (or later?) - those guys to the right would not look out of place if they walked past me today. Because the rides are sort of "standard fare" for an event like this, there is not much to go on as far as determining the location.
And lastly, here's a September, 1971 photo of some kids on a little merry-go-round. Those horses have seen some stuff, look at those eyes! The haunted eyes of the damned. The kids don't care, however... right after they got off this ride, they went and got some beers and then they beat up a kid who didn't go to their school.
8 comments:
Major-
I think those horses are the equine equivalent of the human alien duplicates seen in Invasion of the Body Snatchers-! Definitely very spooky.
Thanks, Major.
I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s comments later.
Judging by that gal’s blouse and purse in the 2nd picture, it’s 1974. Just my guess.
Thanks, Major, for today’s mystery pictures.
The high diving stunt immediately brought to mind Fearless Freep, the Warner Bros. cartoon with Bugs and Yosemite Sam. I think that's a Royal Crown (RC) soda cup featured prominently in the foreground.
Whoa! This is an excellent view of the Tip Top (foreground) and Sky Diver rides. In between them is the Hurricane, partly obscured by the Tip Top. Also, there's a Scrambler and a Sky Wheel (double Ferris wheel). Plus a couple of other rides that I can't identify. No idea where this is, but it looks awfully flat.
Yeah, I had those ruffian merry-go-round kids pegged the moment I saw them, too. Your commentary made me laugh, Major. And yes, what is with the horses eyes! That's a strange background. It looks like this merry-go-round is inside a meteor crater.
I think Sue's guess of 1974 is pretty close. Those rides (Tip Top, Hurricane, Sky Diver, and Sky Wheel) were at their most popular from the mid '60s to the mid '70s.
I always enjoy seeing vintage amusement park/fair rides. Thanks, Major.
I wonder how many seconds that diver had, before he would start to feel the heat through whatever kind of protective clothing he was wearing?
Thank you for sharing your Mystery Amusement images with us, Major!
Actor Jim J. Bullock was being interviewed and told the story how he was working at Aqua-Landia Marine Park and was trying to get the attention of sone TV producers …so he lit himself on fire! He lost his Aqua-Landia job and was terribly disfigured, but he got the job of MONROE on Too Close For Comfort!!!!
The cables on the ground of the Tip Top make me think this is a traveling carnival and not an established amusement park. I always liked the Sky Driver for its presence on the midway. It's the ride that stood out on a grander scale even when viewed from the distance. Thanks, Major.
Good thing that diver is standing over a tank of water, since he is on FIRE! Who thought that was a good idea? And that tank looks pretty shallow too. He will be having fried piranha for dinner tonight.
Sue, I agree about the young lady’s clothes and purse. Every girl at my high school in 1974 had one of those clunky bags, you know, to assert her personal style. The boy to the tight has a cut on his leg and the fourth dimension is leaking out of it.
Those carousel horses are a terrifying blend of earless horses and sheep, let’s call them “heep”. Their blank gaze is the effect of staring too long into the Abyss, or maybe just being bored going in circles all day. After riding those heep, I’m not surprised those kids chose violence.
Thanks for these vaguely unsettling picture, Major!
JG
Nanook, horses can be body-snatched too!
Lou and Sue, huh, 1974 seems earlier than I would have guessed, but you know fashion way better than I do!
JB, yes, Royal Crown soda, which always tasted funny to me. I guess I was just so used to Coke or Pepsi. Look at you with your classic ride knowledge! You are giving Andrew and K. Martinez a run for their money. I kind of like those weird and creepy merry-go-round horses, all they need is big fangs and they’d be perfect.
TokyoMagic!, “Oh crap, I forgot to wear my protective suit again”.
Mike Cozart, it sounds like Jim J. Bullock has problems with impulse control! But he became a big TV star, so I guess it worked for him. (Yes, I know you were joking!).
K. Martinez, I agree that the 2nd photo probably shows a traveling carnival. I must have seen the Sky Diver ride at some point in my life, but I don’t remember it. It looks pretty fun and intense!
JG, there is video of guy diving into an incredibly tiny pool at Sea World in San Diego (or was it Marineland in Palos Verdes?). Either way, the mere idea that he actually made the jump from so darn high, and didn’t hit the bottom of the tank, is unbelievable. It’s funny how the woman’s fashion points to a specific era, and yet (as I said in the post), those guys would look totally at home walking around today. It just goes to show you. My mom owns a small carousel horse carved from wood, it looks much nicer than the ones in today’s picture. I wonder if it is worth big money??
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