The invention of the Ferris Wheel was a jaw-dropping innovation of its time! Find out the history of the Ferris Wheel ride we now know so well, plus see pictures of the HUGE first one.
Vintage & retro entertainment
Millions know ‘Say, Say, Oh Playmate’ – also known as ‘Playmate’ – but few today know much about the rhyming song & hand clapping game. Find out more here!
Marshall Pinckney Wilder was a hugely successful comedian during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Vintage circus posters are a fantastic way to get a glimpse into the world of the old-fashioned circus and all the excitement it offered!
Check out some original ‘Wizard of Oz’ cast photos from 1903, and see if you don’t think the characters seem creepy — maybe even a little bit ghoulish.
Jack London’s first major work, ‘The Call of the Wild,’ changed both the face of literature and the fortunes of a young author.
Through 75 artistic antique color covers of The Theatre magazine, take a peek back in time from the first decades of the twentieth century to see these classic actors & actresses who performed onstage more than 100 years ago
Mosey on over and meet William Cody, who was known in these parts for his Buffalo Bill’s Wild West & Congress of Rough Riders of the World exhibitions. Yee haw!
San Francisco’s great old Sutro Baths was a huge structure with several enormous swimming pools, viewing galleries, museums and more, right next to the Golden Gate. See inside the Victorian marvel here!
Gus Wagner, one of the first tattoo professionals, and with him on the circus sideshow marquee was his wife Maud Wagner, the famous Tattooed Woman.
The dance music of the Edison Phonograph is irresistible. It offers the most fascinating waltzes and spirited two-steps of the world’s, great composers as well as the popular dance music of the hour.
Bicycle daredevil Diavolo (Conn Baker) traveled the country performing gravity-defying stunts, like the still-famous loop-the-loop.
Do you remember the old metal hoop with a handle fastened to it? The small wooden hoops were usually rolled by the girls, using a small paddle to roll them along.
Legendary beauty Lillie Langtry was a statuesque blonde with blue eyes, a perfect complexion and a ravishing figure. She was acclaimed by the social set, and became the mistress of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.
How did the Kentucky Derby get started? Now, the famous Louisville horse race is the first part of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, but when it started, people didn’t know how important and iconic the Derby would eventually become. Here’s a look back at its history.
Take a look back at ten old roller coasters from the early 1900s, and admire the courage of the riders who sat down in those rickety little cars and sped off into the wild blue yonder.
39 years before the classic movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was released, see what people had to say about ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ book back in 1900!
Dreamland and its beautiful tower attract the eye of the pleasure seeker long before Coney Island is reached. There is capital amusement under and about the big tower, and all the novelties are enjoying a large share of favor…
Long before people started wondering why the vampires of Twilight sparkled, there were other questions being asked about these creatures…
