More Miscellaneous Amusements
It's time for more MISCELLANEOUS AMUSEMENTS! Random scans from my collection of slides.
This first one (dated "March 1959") shows a charming lass posing in front of a saloon that served sarsaparilla (in a dirty glass), as well as Gluek Beer (?!?). Gimme a Gluek! "Sir, this is a family establishment!". There were so many western-themed amusement parks around the US at one time, that I was not very certain that I'd be able to ID this one. To the extreme left, we can see a part of a sign that mentions a rocker (used in separating gold from placer dust), and I wondered, "Could this be Rockerville, South Dakota?" (without much confidence).
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And then I found this scan of a vintage postcard from that very place. Bingo! See another photo of Rockerville at the end of THIS POST.
Here's the back of the card, for those who know how to read.
From June, 1961 comes this photo of a little roller coaster that has clearly been set up at some fair or carnival, with no clue as to where it was. Looking at the track, it looks like there is some sort of chain-driven wheel that helped push the coaster along, since they could not rely on the big drops of conventional coasters. Gravity - maybe you've heard of it! It reminds me of a stripped-down "Gadget's Go-Coaster".
And finally, here's a scan dated "June 13, 1959", from another anonymous fair. I hope it doesn't rain! There was no location indicated, other than the words "Festival center". That's no help at all! There's an airplane ride of some sort, as well as a Paratrooper ride. I think I see one or two other rides, but I can't quite tell what they are.
I hope you have enjoyed today's MISCELLANEOUS AMUSEMENTS.
5 comments:
Major-
Nice sleuthing - and to think you've already featured this location.
I see there's a 12' round, outdoor thermometer for Ansco Film. It says: Ask for Ansco - the all-weather film. It's guaranteed. It's 'guaranteed' to do just what, exactly-? As their film produced results that at-best would be considered spotty-! LOOK HERE.
Thanks, Major.
Yay! Another Saturday of miscellaneous amusements! I can get motion sick and barf without leaving home! ;-)
Rockerville: I wonder if the postcard is earlier than your photo, Major. Because the postcard has those nice saloon doors at the entrance. While, in your scan, the entrance is just a beat up looking screen door. Presumably, the saloon doors have a regular door behind them that can be shut, and locked. Also to keep out the cold and inclement weather. (Samuel Inclement wrote the classic "Adventures of Huckleberry Hound".)
The little coaster: I think the "chain-driven wheel" was just to get the coaster up the first 'hill' (more like a small bump) after leaving the station, like a larger coaster would. These kiddie coasters usually went around the track at least three times, using the chain lift each time. I guess it would be fun if there were no 'real' coasters around for a hundred miles or more.
In the last pic, the wings and rear stabilizers on that airplane ride look like they can be rotated by the riders. Though I don't see how that would affect the upsy-downsiness of the planes. Not that it matters; the planes are clearly rocket-propelled! On the extreme left we can see an Eyerly Octopus.
I love these random amusement Saturdays. Thanks, Major.
Off hand I cannot think of the manufacturer of that roller coster / but they sold thousands of them. The SANTA CRUZ (ca) SKY FOREST (ca) and DUNDEE ( Illinois) chain used it for the “BOBSLED” , “SANTA’S BOBSLED”.
Interesting thing about saloon doors : very few saloons of the 19th century ever used them. They were expensive and didn’t work in boomtowns with cold weather. Often bigger city saloons in Denver, St. Louis , Kansas City , San Francisco used them inside to separate a hotel lobby from the saloon or gaming parlor . More typically saloon entry doors led to a vestibule that led to swinging doors that lead to the actual saloon. Like how neon became associated with undesirable establishments after the depression , saloon doors became associated with offensive establishments or disorderly houses and fell out of favor with licensed saloon establishments. They became ubiquitous because of Hollywood Westerns .
I left out SANTAS VILLAGE in my comment about the roller coaster
Even though we can't see the rest of that coaster, I'm pretty sure I rode one just like it multiple times at local carnivals. In fact, that was the very first roller coaster I ever experienced. And I remember the operator making the car go around several times per ride, like JG stated.
Thanks, Major!
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