America's Outdoor
Entertainment
Showcasing America’s Outdoor Entertainment before the age of television; knows that there is always a story behind the artifact.
During the past one-hundred years, a good portion of traveling carnivals has used the word “Shows” as the last word in their titles. This came about as the early showmen brought versions of big city entertainment and unusual attractions to rural America, presenting their offerings under show tents.
Movies were first seen in black tents before local theaters came into being while travel-type motion pictures were enjoys by patrons sitting in a cut-away railroad car. These people felt they were experiencing the travel without ever having left their home towns, one-ring circuses: athletic arenas (boxing and wrestling); water and driving exhibitions; wild west shows; animal presentations; various forms of vaudeville; burlesque, girl shows and revues; minstrel or colored musicals; motordomes; monkeys auto racing and every conceivable type of side show could be found on what became known in carnivals terminology as the “back-end”
Games and food concessions, mixed-in with a carousel, Ferris wheel and usually a circular or Venetian type swings, rounded out the pleasurers to be found on the earlier midways.
The AmErican Carnival Midway
In 1916, the whip made its debut and quickly became the third major ride to be carried by most originations. As time passed, more and more rides were introduced and soon, what the workingmen called “pig-iron” riding devices were whirling patrons in vehicles or tubs that revolved at various speeds, angles and directions.
Following World War II, movies, radio and especially television brought about the demise of the back-end theaters. At the same time an unending parade of elaborate and spectacular rides were being developed, that captured the favor of young people. At this point the carnival midway turned in a different direction as rides became the major offering,
Beautiful, brilliant lighting, the aroma of delicious midway foods, the steady banter of game operators, loud teen-age music, screaming ride patrons and the old-time carousel music can still turn an empty lot into a dreamland of wonderment, excitement and just plain fun.
The midway has change, but the carnival still remains the backbone of outdoor show business. Every year, a quarter of a billion experience the magic of the American Midway.
People today think of a carnival as rides, food and games. It wasn’t always that way. In fact 1920s, rides on the midway were few, with most of the larger midways advertising 20 or more shows.
These shows included boxing and wrestling, known as Athletic Shows; Movies under black tents; bicycle and then motorcycle motordromes; monkeys circuses, racing and motordromes; human and animal freak shows; variety, vaudeville and girl reviews; full circuses; wild west shows; black performers in minstrel or plantation shows; dog & pony shows; illusion and magic shows; flea circuses’ ice shows (only a few); diving and water shows; full fledge menageries to name just a few. Old Funhouses challenged patrons to the extent that today’s insurance companies would never extend a policy for such dangerous tricks.
Legacy
Bob Goldsack was a carnival and circus fan, historian and model builder since childhood. He was a prolific writer who recorded the interesting history of outdoor entertainment and amusements. Since 1984 he has researched, collected photos and published (16) books and wrote articles for multiple publications.
In October, 2000 he was named editor of The White Tops, the bimonthly magazine published by the Circus Fans Association of America. Goldsack was also the founding editor of Carnival Midway, the bimonthly magazine published by The Carnival Historical and Model Builders Association. From 1996 through 2000, he published his own magazine, Midway Journal Illustrated, a high quality magazine targeted to carnival, circus and amusement parks fans.
Goldsack has also written on request, major articles for Midway Marquee, The Outdoor Amusement Business yearly publications. He also appeared at numerous educational and historical society programs speaking on the subject “The History of Outdoor Entertainment”. He has been interviewed on several radio shows. He has served as a consultant for a number of movies, television documentaries and several Disney projects.
A 28 year work history as a former newspaper executive, Goldsack was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey, moving to Nashua, New Hampshire in 1978. Married for over 50 years, was the father to nine children and a multitude of grand & great grandchildren. He was a Navy combat veteran of the Korean War, and a graduate of Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.
Goldsack’s part-time ventures included owning a semi-pro football team Jersey Oaks {Plainfield Merchants} in New Jersey that successfully operated for ten years, operated a large pony ride-rental business {Eleven-G’s} for six years and a small amusement park {Circusland in Washington, New Jersey}.
He was always thrilled when he spots circus tents, carnival midways and showtrain’s.
3/21/2021 last update
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The American Carnival Midway with roots from the Plaisance Midway of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The Plaisance was filled with villages of social anthropology studies presented as entertainment, amusement rides, dinning, drinking, entertainment shows and reenactments. This entertainment concept was captive by the new breed of traveling showmen as the American Carnival midway. Starting off with heavy amount of entertainment shows, mixed with food and gaming concession, sprinkle with a small number of amusement rides. During the next 100 years this format change to low to no shows, mixed with food and gaming concession, sprinkle with a major number of amusement rides.