Ferris Wheels: An Illustrated History [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Norman Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1992

June 21, 1893 dawned clear in Chicago. By mid-afternoon hundreds of invited guests and curious spectators crowded around a small platform on the Midway Plaisance at the World's Columbian Exposition. Promptly at 3:30 the official party took their places and following the speeches, George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. blew a small, golden whistle. The giant observation wheel was officially open to all those who wanted the never-to-be-forgotten thrill of riding the Ferris Wheel. The miracle of engineering Ferris had built in less than six months was 264 feet tall, taller than any other building existing at the time, and the 36 cars each held up to 60 passengers. Before the Exposition closed, nearly a million and a half people paid 50 cents for a twenty-minute ride on The Eighth Wonder of the World. And since then, amusement wheels worldwide that carry people up, over the top, and down have been called Ferris wheels. The idea of the Ferris wheel may be as old as the water wheel, and written descriptions and drawings of pleasure wheels go back at least four centuries. And during the last hundred years the Ferris wheel has become the universal symbol of the outdoor amusement industry and the undisputed Queen of the Midway. There have been dozens of experiments with design and construction early portable wheels by Strobel, the Condermans, Sullivan and others; one-of-a-kind wheels like Schnitzler's Asbury Park wheel with a tower and Stubb's water-turned wheel at Electric Park in Waterloo, Iowa; giant wheels in London, Blackpool, Vienna, Paris and more recently in Japan. All of these builders and rides plus others are described in Ferris Wheels: An Illustrated History.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Norman Anderson received his PhD from Ohio State University, joined the faculty of North Carolina State University in 1963 and was named an Alumni Distinguished Professor in 1973.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From dust jacket: The idea of the Ferris wheel may be as old as the water wheel and written descriptions and drawings of pleasure wheels go back at least four centuries. And during the last hundred years, the Ferris wheel has become the universal symbol of the outdoor amusement industry and the undisputed "Queen of the Midway."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 407 pages
• Publisher: Bowling Green State Univ Popular Pr; illustrated edition edition (December 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879725311
• ISBN-13: 978-0879725310
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,448,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ferris Wheel Bible!, March 29, 2001

By 

Nathan A. Unterman (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ferris Wheels: An Illustrated History (Hardcover)

This book is the ultimate authority on Ferris Wheels. The history of Ferris Wheels is comprehensive and has copious footnotes. The references go deep. There was one reference that caught my fancy, and after extensive searching, found that it is a reference in one library in England, and shows up no where else! The photographs are good, but not great. An excellent and detailed section on patents related to Ferris Wheels. Anderson has written a super 400+ page reference work. Strongly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An informative documentation of the ever-popular amusement park and carnival ride, June 2, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ferris Wheels: An Illustrated History (Paperback)

A photomechanical reprint of the 1992 Bowling Green University Press edition, Ferris Wheels: An Illustrated History by Norman Anderson is an informative documentation of the ever-popular amusement park and carnival ride. Guiding reader through its remarkable history, Ferris Wheels reveals George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.'s most creative and timeless constructions through its over one-hundred and ten year history as a key feature for American carnivals and fairgrounds. Profusely illustrated with historical photographs and line drawn sketches, Ferris Wheels is very highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to personal and community library collections.