Episode 080—Greetings from The Pleasure Garden (feat. Rob Grabowski)
Step right up and try your luck in our grand season finale about the history of amusement parks! We're joined by Chicago comedian Rob Grabowski as we jump all the lines, eat all the sweets, get handsy in the dark rides and take a stroll through the pleasure gardens.
Bartholomew Fair illustrated (1808)
Advertisement for a puppet show at Bartholomew Fair
Bakken park (Denmark) then 1 & 2
Bakken entrance now
Pleasure Garden: Vauxhall Gardens in the Regency Era
Vauxhall Gardens in 1809
View from the Midway Plaisance - 1893 Chicago World's Fair
A Shoot-the-Chutes ride (Riverview Park Chicago - 1963)
On a dark ride -- The Tunnel of Love at Riverview Park 1943
Questionable entrance to The Tunnel of Love (Riverview)
Entrance to the second Steeplechase Park (circa 1908 - coney island)
Luna Park entrance (coney island)
Disneyland under construction
Cedar Point postcard (1907?)
Brochure of Cedar Point (1929ish)
More on Rob: Rob Grabowski is an actor, improviser & fellow podcaster based in Chicago. He's worked all over the city with theaters and ensembles including The Second City, Victory Gardens, iO Chicago, Annoyance, The New Colony and ComedySportz Chicago. He's the unofficial, honorable Mayor of Chicago, co-host of Poppin’ Bottles & Talking Shop (w/ James Dugan and Rob Grabowski) podcasts, producer of REDACTED at The Music Box, and we just really like him a whole bunch.
SOURCES:
“Amusement Park.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Jan. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusement_park.
Andrews, Evan. “6 Early Amusement Parks.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 14 July 2014, https://www.history.com/news/6-early-amusement-parks.
“Bartholomew Fair.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 July 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Fair.
Brady, Janice. “America's Most Amazing Theme Parks - The History of Amusement Parks.” An Open Suitcase, 29 June 2019, https://anopensuitcase.com/history-of-amusement-parks/.
“The Early History of Theme Parks in America.” The Early History of Theme Parks in the United States, https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Navigation/Community/Arcadia-and-THP-Blog/September-2017/%E2%80%8BThe-Early-History-of-Theme-Parks-in-America.
Levine, Arthur. “The Story of Amusement Parks Is the Story of America.” Vox, Vox, 16 Aug. 2021, https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22621855/theme-park-amusement-park-disney-coney-island.
“Pleasure Garden.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Jan. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasure_garden.
“Trolley Park.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Dec. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_park.
CREDITS: Original Theme: Garreth Spinn
Original Art: Sarah Cruz
Animations: The Banditry Co.
SPONSORS: This season of Shared History is sponsored by RAYGUN, Herbiery Brewing & The Banditry Co.