The Roller Coaster -
the Cyclone at Coney Island, the Racer at Pittsburgh's Kennywood
Park, the Blue Streak at Sandusky's Cedar Point - icon of the
midway, capable of reducing the strongest of grown men to
screaming, white-knuckled hysterics. During the early decades of
the 20th Century, daring designers pushed the limits of these high
speed thrillers, reaching hundreds of feet in height and thousands
of feet in length, with ever more miles of winding twisting,
lurching track dominating the landscapes of America's amusement
parks. Most of the roller coasters from that golden age are gone
today. Thankfully, they live on in memory, preserved in vintage
postcards that provide a lasting record of the magnificent wooden
structures that thrilled our parents, grandparents and
great-grandparents.
With over 200 historic postcards,
The Golden Age of Roller Coasters offers a nostalgic view of this
truly American phenomenon. Authors David W. and Diane DeMali
Francis are members of the American Coaster Enthusiasts club,
National Amusement Park Historical Association, and the
Organisation of American Historians. They have published 6
previous titles and dozens of articles on amusement park history,
and dedicate this book to the coaster lover in all of us.
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