| Dreamland
amusement park in Margate, Kent opened to the public in 1920 though
its site has an even longer historical link with fairgrounds, having
been first used for amusement rides as early as 1880. During the
height of its popularity it was one of the UK’s best-loved amusement
parks and a top tourist attraction. Years of steady decline and a
slow dismantling of iconic rides led to the park’s eventual closure
in 2003. Yet it retained a place in the hearts of many local people
and when plans were announced to develop housing on the site a
decade long public campaign was triggered with the aim of restoring
it as a fully operational amusement park. The campaign succeeded and
the park reopened to the public in Summer 2015.
Rob Ball remembers the park with great
fondness from his own childhood visits. In ‘Dreamlands’ he
incorporates colour photographs of found objects and of the park as
it fell into disrepair, as well as black and white archive
photographs and tintypes.
Condition:
Fine. (Click on image for larger version of item we are
selling).
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