Description: The Wall of Death, New York, Images of America, Paperback In 1911, the operators of Coney Island's Luna Park premiered a miniature, radically banked racetrack for staged automobile races that seemed to defy gravity.For a fee, patrons would watch from the perimeter of the 85-foot wooden saucer as daredevil drivers raced on the steep angle of the tiny track. The attraction created a sensation and was quickly copied with a show that featured motorcycle riders performing breathtaking stunts. When portable versions were made available, every traveling carnival owner in the United States rushed to have one. Motordromes with perfectly vertical walls soon followed, which permitted riders on their Indian motorcycles to climb, sometimes to a height of 20 feet, with nothing but centrifugal force between them and a trip to the trauma ward. And when full-grown lions were added to pursue riders in the arena, no one could resist buying a ticket! The ""Wall of Death,"" a name these shows received in 1917, remained a staple attraction on American carnival midways until the 1970s.
Price: 16.24 USD
Location: USA
End Time: 2024-07-24T04:55:32.000Z
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Item Specifics
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money back or replacement (buyer's choice)
Brand: Unbranded
MPN: 9781467127066
Book Title: Wall of Death : Carnival Motordromes
Item Length: 9.2in
Item Height: 0.3in
Item Width: 6.5in
Author: Not Available
Format: Trade Paperback
Language: English
Topic: Subjects & Themes / Regional (See Also Travel / Pictorials), Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions / Group Shows, United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, De, Md, NJ, NY, Pa), General, Customs & Traditions
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Publication Year: 2017
Genre: Photography, Sports & Recreation, History, Social Science
Item Weight: 0.6 Oz
Number of Pages: 128 Pages
