Who among you has not enjoyed carnivals, amusement parks, side shows and funfairs that offered a dizzying array of diversions? Diversions that transported you to worlds beyond your everyday experiences. Now, step back to an era when these venues were a primary form of amusement. A time without screen-based entertainment. A time where carnivals and amusement parks were not sanitized mega-theme parks, but unique, quirky and often creepy venues where you could “Laugh your troubles away”.
Growing up in Chicago, I looked forward to our summer outings to Riverview. What a strange and wonderful world of cotton candy, arcade games and thrilling rides. But, there was also a creepy, dark under belly that lurked below the surface. I was fascinated and repelled by the strange and sometimes perverse curiosities found in the haunted house, the “freak show” and Aladdin’s Castle. Memories of the bug-eyed man, the spider lady, and the Siamese Twins were etched into my subconscious and still inhabit my nocturnal wanderings.
But since Riverview is long gone, these photos of the artifacts of lost fun fairs and amusement parks are visual articulations of my shadowy memories of the darker aspects of these venues.
Step right up and enter a world of bright lights and dark shadows of lost fun fairs, magic shows, and carnivals. Here’s your ticket to games of chance, thrilling carousel rides, and animated “puppets”. Have your fortune told, win prizes, marvel at strange and bizarre curiosities. You will find this and more at the Carnival of Dark Marvels.
