SHOWS - CONCESSIONS - RIDES -

1. The Frozen Custard Concession:

        Frozen Custard was becoming an American favorite ice cream during the forties it was being offered by Dad on the midway. I remember seeing Dad with his white apron, white shirt and pants drawing ten-cent ice cream cones for the customers. Talking with Dexter about this, he said the Frozen Custard Concession was owned and operated by Harry Ham, a neighbor who lived two houses east of our house on Main Street, West Glens Falls. Apparently Mr. Ham and Dad had an arrangement, however, I was too young to know the details. The custard freezing machine was located in the rear of a truck which the sides and rear of the truck open allowing full view of the freezer unit. The unit appeared to be stainless steel but was probably some other metal, the truck was painted white. The custard tested richer and afforded more flavor than today's custard, however, this may just be my faulty memory or personal prejudice.

2.  Bumper Car Concession

        The bumper car concession was a 121 X 101 portable wood frame, canvas covered shop with a raised awning in the front. A narrow track extended across the front of the concession which the bumper car rode in.  The bumper car was a converted roller skate with a model automobile body anchored to the skate. The skate was heavy with lead and on its side was a flexible pointer that moved along the track against a raw of nails.  At each end of the tract was a large piece of rubber inner tube stretched across two posts which allowed the car to bounce back down the track.  The row of nails was compartmentalized with assorted gifts ranging from teddy bears to small pieces of "slum" from Japan and China.  Wherever the bumper car would stop, the customer would receive that prize. "A prize every time".  Mom would shout to the marks walking along the midway. We were constantly repairing, painting, and fixing up this "slum" as prizes since a lot of it would be damaged in transit.  Mom operated this concession for several years and it was apparently a money maker.

3.  The Burlesque Show

        For many years (15 yrs.) Dad operated a burlesque show which featured several young French Canadian show girls from Montreal, Canada. I remember Dad traveling to Montreal in search of finding five to eight dancing show girls during the early Spring to perform throughout the summer.  Each of the girls had a provocative French name and each would make a good appearance to the male community.  I think Dad paid the girls one hundred dollars per week and took care of the hotel expenses.  I know Dad was always watching them and making sure they did not get themselves into trouble with the law and with other carnies.  The canvas big top was approximately 30 feet x 30 feet square with a large stage in the center.  There were several lights and poles situated around the interior with a stage measuring approximately ten feet by ten feet and had a railing around the outside much like a boxing ring.  The girls, one at a time would make an appearance on the stage and dance, making body gestures and choreographic expressions to the music which played over an amplifier and speakers to a tune, "Take it off - Take it all off".  In those days the girls would begin dancing with an attractive dress or suit and had feathers or balloons in their hands.  As they took their clothes off, they could remove everything down to only a "G-string" and a "pasty" to cover their nipples.   No one was permitted by law under the age of eighteen to see the show, therefore, it was several years before I was old enough to actually see the performance.  However, I did get to know the girls and had a good time with them whenever they were not working.  As I grew taller, Dad would let me take the tickets from public as they entered into the big top and often I would stand near the entrance and see the show. Watching the show and collecting the tickets became a routine and I would have enjoyed myself more on the rides along the midway.

        I also recall how the village, city, and state police were always closing down the show because of nudity and lewdness. City officials church leaders and police vice squads would complained that the show was indecent and obscene.  It didn't take much for them to close down the show while the carnival was playing in that area.  Now that I look back to those times and realize that this burlesque show was a bit risqué for that historical period, however, today the television shows are much worst with nudity and lewdness than Dad's burlesque show.  World War II was in progress or coming to an end during this time and society was changing at a tremendous speed.  Men were coming home from the war and younger men were interested in a more open approach to sex and behavior, therefore, I think the burlesque show was a good money maker at that time.

4. The Photo Gallery

        During the fifties and sixties you could have your picture taken at any airport or bus terminal in a modern photo gallery.  During the late 1940's and early 1950's Mom and Dad operated a photo gallery much like those that became popular later.  This is a double exposure of Dad holding a lollipop.  The photo gallery was a process of photography that required no negative but direct exposure. The customer would sit in a lighted booth and the camera would take three or four simple poses.  These prints needed to be developed and a D-76 chemical and a hardener (hypo - a photographic fixing agent) then dried.  Behind the camera was the darkroom where someone had to do the developing.  This was often Dad or myself depending upon who was tending the store did the dirty work.  I remember that we had to wear rubber gloves because the chemical would turn our finger nails and hands brown.  They were unsightly.   If I remember right the cost of three prints was a dollar and if you wanted them tinted (hand painted) the cost was an additional fifty cents. Mom would do the water colors with a fine artist brush, and after doing so many prints for so many years she had an knack for speed and perfection.  There are some examples of her work and the finished product of the photo gallery in the file.

5. The Wildlife Exhibit

        The wildlife exhibit was unique because it offered a variety of animals in small cages that could be loaded onto a truck with ease.  The tent measured twenty-five feet by forty or fifty feet deep with two large center poles holding the canvas high.  You must realize that these are pre-television days when few people in the cities were exposed to the rural countryside and exotic far away places. Often times, people were captivated by these small and unusual animals.  It was more than a petting zoo, these animals you could not pet or feed.   Some of the animals were the golden pheasant, the silver pheasant, a skunk or two, monkeys, turtle doves, alligators, raccoons peacock, parrot, cockatoo, ferret, red and silver foxes, rabbits, porcupine, snakes, toucans, squirrels, Texas horn toads, prairie dogs, Jack rabbits, and iguana lizards.   This show required a lot of work including cleaning cages, feeding animals, painting cages, and a variety of other tasks. Oftentimes, during the long northeast winters we would have the alligator in the bath tub, the monkeys in the cellar and the birds in the kitchen.  The wildlife exhibit was a family type show and the children often enjoyed themselves.  No tickets were sold, however, just before your exit, a table was placed near the door for a donation.  Usually Dad or Mom would stand at the table and embarrass those who had thoughts of not giving.  On the table there would be several quarters, half dollars, and one dollar bills in order to give the mark an idea of how much to give.  As I look back at the wildlife exhibit I remember the flat bed truck being old and worn out and always needing repairs, the cages always needing repair because the animals would often chew upon the wooden braces and dig at the floors until they were weak and worn out. There were signs listing the name of the animals throughout the exhibit that needed to be painted and replacement often.

6. Lila, the Mermaid

        The Mermaid Show was built on a trailer and hauled over the road with a tractor (18 wheeler). It was built much like the snake show and the fun house, a set of steps lead you onto the trailer and a set of steps were the exit off the trailer.  Near the center of the trailer was a large tank measuring about seven feet long, thirty inches wide, and about five feet high. The public had to look over the top of the tank and down to see the mermaid.   At about twenty inches from the top of the tank was a sheet of clear plate glass.  Beneath the glass a young woman would lie on the bottom of the tank with a fish tail and a nice smile to the customer. Above the plate glass was about eighteen inches of water and it appeared that the woman at the bottom of the tank was fully submerged in the water, living and breathing as a mermaid.   It was often hot, sticky, humid air and most uncomfortable for a long period of time.  This show required little or no maintenance and could be operated by one person selling tickets and the girl inside.  It was a family show and the cost to see this strange and beautiful mermaid was something like twenty cents at the time.

7. The Monkey Speedway

        The monkey speedway was a large circular three track speedway measuring about forty feet in diameter made of wood with metal runners.  The track was slightly slanted allowing the public to see the three racing cars at every angle.  A large canvas tent measuring about fifty feet in diameter with one center pole and a series of smaller ridge poles which made this an ideal show tent.  A rhees monkey was strapped into the car and appeared to the public the monkey was the driver and could control the speed of the car.  The three cars would line up at the starting line and at the sound of "Go", they would begin their race around and around the track.  What the public didn't know was that the operation of the cars were under the control of the attendant.  Located at the rear of the track was a booth where Dad or myself would stand and control the electric motors on the cars through foot pedals. The monkeys were given names like Bill, Tom, Jim, etc. ... and they wore small brown and gold jackets as they raced around the track.  The series of races would last about twenty minutes and a lot of humor, stories and anecdotes were told by the racing attendant. The time was colorful and family oriented, pictures were often taken of winners.

8. Dart Game Concession

        While traveling with the O.C. Buck Shows the family had a dart game concession. This concession looked like the bumper car concession, however, the object of the game was to break three balloons with three darts.  The higher the row of balloons the greater the prize, with the top row being the large teddy bears etc.  The cost of three darts was fifty cents and one could not lean over the counter when he shoots the darts.  This was not a prize every time concession and often the public became a bit angry and upset with themselves and with us.