WALL OF DEATH CARNIVAL BOOK INDIAN SCOUT MOTORCYCLE SIGNED COLLECTOR EDITION

Description

In 1911, the operators of Coney Island’s Luna Park premiered a miniature, radically banked racetrack for staged automobile races that seemed to defy gravity. For a fee, patrons would watch from the perimeter of the 85-foot wooden saucer as daredevil drivers raced on the steep angle of the tiny track. The attraction created a sensation and was quickly copied with a show that featured motorcycle riders performing breathtaking stunts. When portable versions were made available, every traveling carnival owner in the United States rushed to have one. Motordromes with perfectly vertical walls soon followed, which permitted riders on their Indian motorcycles to climb, sometimes to a height of 20 feet, with nothing but centrifugal force between them and a trip to the trauma ward. And when full-grown lions were added to pursue riders in the arena, no one could resist buying a ticket! The “Wall of Death,” a name these shows received in 1917, remained a staple attraction on American carnival midways until the 1970s.
At long last,
The Wall of Death: Carnival Motordromes
, the very first book in the US on this American-invented motorcycle thrill show has been published by Arcadia Publishing.  Painstakingly researched and copiously illustrated with 209 photos, this 128-page, softbound volume depicts every aspect of this never before told story... early, slant-wall tracks... silodromes... the Indian Scout motorcycles... lions... women riders... modern motordromes.  A must-have for those interested in carnival, circus or Indian motorcycle history!  Media Mail shipping AND protective packaging is .95... or select Priority Mail at checkout for faster delivery.
COLLECTOR EDITION - SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR!
***** Please see our other listing of Wall of Death postcards showing highlighted images from this book *****