Kiss Waltz
| Other Name(s) | Thurston's Kiss Waltz Thurston's Waltz Ride The Tango Waltz |
|---|---|
| Type | Track ride Dark ride |
| Park Section | Unknown |
| Built | 1912 |
| Opened | 1913 |
| Closed | 1913 (Unknown if ever installed) |
| Manufacturer | Thurston's Waltz Ride Co. |
| Designer | Howard Thurston |
| Vehicle Type | Barrel |
The Kiss Waltz, also known as Thurston's Kiss Waltz, Thurston's Waltz Ride,[1] and The Tango Waltz,[2] was a track ride that was proposed to be moved to Olentangy Park in 1913 after its debut at Luna Park, Coney Island, New York,[3] the previous year. It was invented and built by famous magician Howard Thurston[1][4][5][6], a Columbus native.[7] The ride was supposed to be in 40 parks by 1913, but there was no other mention of it being at Olentangy Park.
Description
The ride consisted of barrels on a track that traveled through caverns and dark places. A man and woman each ride a barrel while standing, holding each other in the position of waltzing.[7] The barrel and riders would rise, fall, turn, and reverse. There were 15, 25, and 30-car versions.[1] One of his friends said the movement of the ride “caused many a loving couple, under the delusion that they were waltzing, to throw up their hot dogs.”[8]
A 1912 ad in The Billboard said it was the "cheapest to construct...most original and successful ride produced since Paul Boyton's 'chutes'" and could be operated by only three men. It was propelled by a third rail, with a small motor on each car and a block system to prevent the cars from melting. It could be placed in any building with a floor space of 30 to 60 feet or more, and the track could extend outside of the building so the riders could go out and back into the building.[1]
See Also
- In-depth blog post about Howard Thurston and his legacy
- Amusement apparatus. (1912) US Patent US1083308A https://patents.google.com/patent/US1083308A
- Amusement apparatus. (1912) US Patent US1099951A https://patents.google.com/patent/US1099951A
- Amusement apparatus. (1913) US Patent US1099952A https://patents.google.com/patent/US1099952A
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Advertisement. The Billboard, December 14, 1912. Vol. 24. Issue 50. Page 2c. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
- ↑ Advertisement. The Billboard, November 29, 1913. Vol. 25. Issue 48. Page 14. Accessed through the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1913-11-29_25_48/page/14/mode/2up
- ↑ Times Union (Brooklyn, New York), July 25, 1912. Page 9. Accessed through Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-thurstons-kiss-waltz/160314164/
- ↑ "Amusement apparatus." Google Patents. US Patent US1083308A https://patents.google.com/patent/US1083308A
- ↑ "Amusement apparatus." Google Patents. US Patent US1099951A https://patents.google.com/patent/US1099951A
- ↑ "Amusement apparatus." Google Patents. US Patent US1099952A https://patents.google.com/patent/US1099952A
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Thurston's New Device." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 28 November 1912. Pg. 12.
- ↑ Betsy. "The Greatest Magician of the Early 20th Century Wasn’t Houdini." Consumer Grouch. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2022. http://www.consumergrouch.com/?p=8781