![]() ![]() I appreciated the photos of phases of construction that revealed the skeletons beneath the rides, each an engineering feat and each the substance beneath the fantasy. I also reveled in the photos of people now long gone, but then dressed up for the occasion in their finest-a much different time. Those entrepreneurs knew what was exciting, what could launch me from San Francisco news boy into make believe astronaut, even though the word was not yet in everyday language. It was part of our culture, growing up in The City.Īs an adult, possibly even now an elder, I can now appreciate the collection of this detail for its value in understanding what creates fun. I could close my eyes for a second and recall the wonderful fear of the Big Dipper as well as the shower I anticipated flying down the Chutes. Jim Smith has captured the history of the place by piecing together this photo-history of its genesis as a construction project, its ever-changing arcade and its ultimate demise. Once there, I immersed myself in the thrill rides, the games, the noise and energy of the place.Īll of this came back to me as I thumbed through this fascinating photo-documentary of our local landmark amusement park. I could hardly contain my mounting excitement during the long streetcar ride out to the beach terminus. ![]() As a teen living in San Francisco, there was no better way for me to escape the humdrum of life than to escape into the fantasy of Playland at the Beach. ![]()
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