Part 422: Coney Island – Thomas G. Moses and “The War of Worlds”
Amusement park attractions with massive spectacles provided a unique opportunity; new technology was integrated into established and successful scenic illusions. There were ample opportunities to experiment with visual spectacle. In some cases, already successful endeavors were tweaked, or revamped for even greater appeal. Luna Park showcased the work of many artisans, including the scenic art of Moses & Hamilton.
Nearest the main entrance was Luna’s premiere attraction, “A Trip to the Moon.” The attraction was transported from Steeple Chase Park to Luna Park in 1902, then renovated and placed in a new building at the expense of $52,000. The new airship, Luna III, was also enlarged to accommodate more passengers. The show now ascended over a panorama of Coney Island, flying over Manhattan’s skyscrapers before continuing its journey to the moon, after rising into the clouds. Another change was that visitor’s would enter a moon dragon’s mouth, allowing them to walk into its stomach as the floor rocked to and fro as though alive. Descending to the dragon’s tail, visitor’s returned to earth, exiting safely on the streets of Luna Park.
The building next to “A Trip to the Moon” was “War of the Worlds” and it resembled a monster submarine boat. The interior of the building depicted a small-scale version of Fort Hamilton and the New York Bay. This scenic spectacle depicted a naval attack on New York Harbor by foreign enemy invaders.
Moses and Hamilton also were hired by Fred Thompson to paint the scenery and engineer some of the scenic effects for “The War of Worlds” at Luna Park. For their services, they received $2,900.00. Moses noted that their final profit from Thompson’s project was $2,200.00, as they painted it in less that one half the time they thought it would take. Moses wrote, “It was all painted in oil as the scenes all worked through a tank of water. The attraction included battleships that were large enough to hold the “good-sized boy” who operated them during in battle scenes. Moses recalled this “big hit,” but one having “too much powder and noise.”
The audience was located in one of the batteries guarding New York Harbor, and watched forty ships sail toward Manhattan. The enemy fleet represented the combined navies of Germany, Britain, France and Spain. The ships appeared along a distant horizon, and slowly approached the audience, who were seated in one of Fort Hamilton’s turrets. As the enemy approached, battleships and destroyers fired their guns. An enormous shell blew up one of Fort Hamilton’s bastions. Then an enemy ship was blown into splinters. As the battle raged, the fort’s mighty guns shook the ground. Fortunately, Admiral Dewey’s American fleet sank the all of the foreign ship, before the enemy was able to lay siege to the city.
Historical accounts of the spectacle record that the show used a combination of electrically controlled models and small actors maneuvering the larger ships. The painted background by Moses & Hamilton was a huge canvas that depicted the harbor and Statue of Liberty.
Admission to every one of Luna’s attractions would cost just under two dollars. “A Trip to the Moon,” “War of the Worlds,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” Hagenbeck’s Trained Animals and the Infant Incubators were the most expensive attractions, priced at 25 cents each, today’s equivalent of $6.75. Dime attractions included “Shoot the Chutes,” “Wormwood’s Monkey Theater,” the Gondola Launches and the Japanese and Chinese Theaters. Rides on the miniature railroad called the Midnight Express or the Razzle Dazzle cost only a nickel.
To be continued…
What years did “War of the Worlds” exhibit?