Luna Park at New York’s Coney Island opened its gates on May 16, 1903, and as this colorized photo from 1905 shows, the entertainment attraction venue had much to learn about public safety.
Exotic animals mingled with the public at Coney Island. (https://i.redd.it/uh6wk20po8q41.jpg)
Throughout the 1800s and into the early 1900s, wild and exotic animals were exploited for human entertainment, in circuses, zoos, and other entertainment attractions. The problem was that people lacked the knowledge and experience to properly care for these animals and they certainly way over their heads when it came to training wild animals. The general public was at risk anytime they came into contact with these exotic animals in captivity, like we see in this colorized photograph.
Coney Island
Coney Island was one of the biggest attractions on the East Coast. (ultimatehistoryproject.com)
Luna Park at Coney Island was a marvel of architecture and artistry when it was built in the early 1900s. The people of New York City and surrounding areas flocked to this newest entertainment venue to experience the wonders there, such as the thousands of electric lights, the winding walkways, and exhibits replicating the traditions of other cultures. As part of these exhibits of other cultures, there were exotic animals from faraway places. What is shocking to us today is the fact that these animals were allowed to roam among the crowds of people.
Victorian and Edwardian Menageries
The exploitation of exotic animals was common in the 1800s and early 1900s. (frombygonedays.wordpress.com)
As explorers traveled to the far corners of the Earth, they encountered strange animals they had never seen before. Many world travelers brought back some of these animals for the enjoyment and pleasure of the people back home. According to some historians, this was one way that humans showed their dominance over the natural world. It had nothing to do with advancing scientific understanding. At first, the collections of wild animals in captivity were reserved for the enjoyment of members of the royal family and the wealthy elite only. Over time, these menageries were moved to parks and pleasure gardens where the general public could interact with them.
Animal Accidents
A lion tamer was killed in front of a full audience. (museummenagerie.blogspot.com)
Bringing wild animals into close contact with people is inherently dangerous. Often, animal parks allowed people, even children, to enter cages to pet exotic animals and ride on them. As you can imagine, there were occurrences when these animals lashed out at people causing injuries. Even so-called professional animal trainers of the 1800s were not safe from attacks from captive wild animals. Take for instance, the story of Massarti the Lion-Tamer. During a circus performance in Bolton, England on January 3, 1872, Massarti was entertaining the packed crowd with his four trained lions. Suddenly, one of the lions, a massive animal named Tyrant, attacked Massarti. The three other lions quickly joined in. To the horror of the audience, Massarti the Lion-Tamer was ripped apart before their eyes by the powerful beasts.
Camels, and Monkeys, and Elephants, Oh My
The original black and white version of the colorized image above. (fineartamerica.com)
At Coney Island’s Luna Park, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, one of the highlights was the camels and elephants. As you can see from the colorized photograph from 1905, camel and elephant rides were openly available to visitors. Even Edwardian women in their formal dresses with yards of fabric could sit astride these exotic animals for a walk on the wild side. Luna Park was also known for their sea lions and monkeys. The camels and elephants were not kept in cages. Folks could walk right up to the animals to pet them. The owners of the exotic animals were not concerned about the stress and health of the animals from all this interaction, nor were they worried that the animals could injure park guests.
The Sad Story of Topsy the Elephant
Topsy was one of Coney Island's elephants. (ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com)
The animals held in captivity, at Coney Island and other pleasure gardens, were often mistreated by their trainers and handlers, as well as members of the public. One of Coney Island’s elephants, Topsy, lashed out against the abuse and killed her trainer. Her owners deemed her uncontrollable and sentenced her to death. Initially, plans were made to execute the elephant by hanging, but Thomas Edison, in the midst of his current war with rival Nikolai Tesla, offered to kill the elephant by electrocution. Although the media portrayed Topsy as a bad elephant, the reality was she was the victim of her treatment.
The Changing Views of Performing Animals
Jack London. (thoughtco.com)
In the late 1910s, following the popularity of Jack London’s novel Michael, Brother of Jerry that shined a light on the mistreatment of performing animals, the Jack London Club was formed. This organization was the U.S.’s first advocacy group focused on banning performing animals in circuses, vaudeville acts, and zoos. The group claimed that performing animals were mistreated and that it was cruel to deprive them of the opportunity to live their lives in the wild as nature intended. As the Jack London Club gained in popularity and momentum, more and more people began to take a critical look at the plight of circus and performing animals. The Jack London Club, coupled with animal-related accidents, led to changes and regulations that ended free-roaming exotic animals in places like Coney Island and improved the safety of the public. It put an end to the old way that camel rides, as shown in this colorized photograph from 1905, were conducted at Coney Island.
