February 22, 2022

080 - Greetings from The Pleasure Garden (feat. Rob Grabowski)

1 hour 20 minutes

Step right up and try your luck in our grand season finale about the history of amusement parks! We're joined by Chicago comedian Rob Grabowski as we jump all the lines, eat all the sweets, get handsy in the dark rides and take a stroll through the pleasure gardens.

Bartholomew Fair illustrated (1808)

Advertisement for a puppet show at Bartholomew Fair

Bakken park (Denmark) then 1 & 2

Bakken entrance now

Pleasure Garden: Vauxhall Gardens in the Regency Era

Vauxhall Gardens in 1809

View from the Midway Plaisance - 1893 Chicago World's Fair

A Shoot-the-Chutes ride (Riverview Park Chicago - 1963)

On a dark ride -- The Tunnel of Love at Riverview Park 1943

Questionable entrance to The Tunnel of Love (Riverview)

Entrance to the second Steeplechase Park (circa 1908 - coney island)

Luna Park entrance (coney island)

Disneyland under construction

Cedar Point postcard (1907?)

Brochure of Cedar Point (1929ish)

More on Rob:

Rob Grabowski is an actor, improviser & fellow podcaster based in Chicago. He's worked all over the city with theaters and ensembles including The Second City, Victory Gardens, iO Chicago, Annoyance, The New Colony and ComedySportz Chicago. He's the unofficial, honorable Mayor of Chicago, co-host of Poppin’ Bottles & Talking Shop (w/ James Dugan and Rob Grabowski) podcasts, producer of REDACTED at The Music Box, and we just really like him a whole bunch.

Sources: Wiki, An Open Suitcase, VOX, Arcadia Publishing, coaster10.com

Complete citations on our website.

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SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon or Buy us a "coffee" and fuel our next episode.

MERCH: Snag some Shared History merch and get stylin’!

CREDITS: Original Theme: Garreth Spinn

Original Art: Sarah Cruz

Animations & Addtl Design: The Banditry Co.

About this podcast: Shared History, is a comedy podcast and history podcast in one. Hosted by Chicago comedians, each episode focuses on obscure, overlooked and underrepresented historical events and people.

SPONSORS: This season of Shared History is sponsored by RAYGUN, Herbiery Brewing & The Banditry Co.

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