Fairs

Fairground games, tombola, hoopla, raffles and school fetes, and the odds behind the stall.

Part of Gambling

97 moments in this segment.

1. 1500 - Theater Weissenbach (Jahrmarktbude). Jahrmarktsbude in Zürich, vermutlich am General-Guisan-Quai (bis 1960: Alpenquai), in der Nähe des Weissen Schlosses.
2. 1500 - Portrait, Ada Zingara. Portrait of Ada Zingara (Harriett O. Shipley), sideshow performer, snake charmer.
3. 1598 - Vischer Basel Volksfest 1598. Darstellung eines Volksfest durch Hieronymus Vischer. Lavierte Federzeichnung, 1598. Im British Museum, London.
4. 1731 - Residenz Würzburg im Bau 1731. The new Würzburg residenz of Prince-Bishop Friedrich Carl von Schönborn under construction, c. 1730. On this contemporary engraving, the Prince-Bishop is visiting the site.
5. 1750 - HUA-30577-Gezicht op de zuidoostzijde van het Vredenburg te Utrecht tijdens een kermis. A travelling fair set up on open ground.
6. 1770 - Chodowiecki Basedow Tafel 30 c Z. Tab. XXX c. Berliner Jahrmarkt. (Beschreibung lt. Quelle).
7. 1788 - Van Salee House 1788. Former house of Anthony Jansen van Salee at Turk's Plantation. Detail from 1788 map filed in lawsuit.
8. 1798 - Louis Joseph Watteau (attr) Fête. A tombola stand at a village fete.
9. 1818 - Lanzedelli - Târg în Transilvania 3. A market scene in Transylvania, 1818.
10. 1827 - G. Cruikshank, Phrenological illustrations. 'Number', detail of pig with number 18 in its mouth. Rare Books Keywords: Phrenology.
11. 1845 - AKauffmannJReyIasiFair. Lithograph of the Good Friday Fair in Iaşi.
12. 1850 - Erinnerung an die Dresdner Vogelwiese. Fairground with couples going on a caroussel. c.1840s Lithograph with hand-colouring.
13. 1850 - HUA-39590-Gezicht op enige kramen en kermisgangers tijdens een kermis op de. Gezicht op enige kramen en kermisgangers tijdens een kermis op de Mariaplaats te Utrecht.
14. 1850 - Al wat het kermistooneel, ons aanbiedt tot vermaken. A shooting gallery with its targets and rifles.
15. 1856 - Houghton TCS 65 - Playbill, Barnum American Museum, 1856. Handbill advertisement for P. T. Barnum's American Museum, featuring Tom Thumb (Charles Sherwood Stratton), c. 1856 November 4. ( Slight tear at top is present in original.) Playbills and Programs from New York City Theaters (TCS 65), Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University.
16. 1861 - Neder-Patronage Fair in the Country. Patronage Fair in the Country.
17. 1863 - Genl. Tom Thumb & wife, Com. Nutt & Minnie Warren- four wondrously formed & strangely. Iful ladies gentlemen in miniature, natures smallest editions of her choicest works Physical.
18. 1865 - Barnum performers. Photograph of group of performers including giants Anna Swan, Noah Orr, and Monsieur Joseph; midgets Lizzie Reid and Edward Newell; albinos Amos Gorhen and Charles Gorhen; Circassian Beauties Zuruby Hannum and Zalumma Agra; and the married skinny man and fat lady, John and Hannah Battersby.
19. 1871 - Frankfurt Wäldchestag 1871. German: Wälchestag title 1476,de:"Wälchestag".
20. 1873 - Barodet tête de turc (Eclipse, 1873-05-04). Détail de: "La semaine comique, par Hadol".
21. 1876 - The first carousel and amusement ride at Coney Island was hand-carved and built by. A stall offering prizes against a small stake.
22. 1880 - Bell's picturesque guide to American watering places. Booths lined along a midway.
23. 1886 - Summer diversions at the seaside - a coasting party at Coney Island - "more scared. Than hurt" [Group of people on coasting bench].
24. 1888 - American Jack : the Frog Man. Fairground stalls and rides sharing a site.
25. 1890 - The Mexican Wild Man. Postcard by Frank Wendt of sideshow performer George, the Mexican Wild Man (George Stull).
26. 1890 - Kangaroo Boxing sideshow poster. 1890s Kangaroo Boxing sideshow poster (#964) printed in Hamburg, Germany by Adolph Friedländer (1851-1904).
27. 1893 - Great match race ( a dead heat) between Dobbins and Domino, for $10,000 a side- over. The Coney Island Futurity Course, Sheepshead Bay, Long Island, August 31, 1893 Physical.
28. 1893 - Têtes de turc de Rochefort (Petit Journal illustré, 1893-12-16). "Les Têtes de turc de Rochefort ou la manière de se faire deux cent mille francs de rente".
29. 1894 - The Sandow Trocadero Vaudevilles, Sandow lifting the human dumbell, 1894. Is Wonderful Performance. Lifting the Human Dumbell [ sic ].
30. 1896 - Buggy Racing At Imlay City. This is at the Imlay City Fair, where they were doing Buggy Racing, AKA, Harness Racing.
31. 1897 - Galeriewerk Woermann Mappe 05 13. Beschreibung siehe Bildunterschrift aus: Handzeichnungen alter Meister im königlichen Kupferstichkabinet zu Dresden: Fünfte Mappe. Franz Hanfstaengl, München.
32. 1898 - The Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth. The Peerless Prodigies of Physical. Phenomena. [with] Smallest Man Alive [and] the Congo Giant 1 print (poster): color.
33. 1898 - Luna Park at Night, Coney Island, N. Y. Last series bearing Detroit Photographic Company imprint. Lights rendered in sparkles, emphasized by addition of glued-on glitter.
34. 1899 - The Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth ... The Peerless Prodigies of Physical. Enomena Marvelous Living Human Curiosities 1 print (poster): color.
35. 1899 - Gruss vom Hamburger Dom AK Wunder-Theater 1899. "Greetings from the Hamburger Dom funfair", generic illustration of a German funfair, left: theatre audience entering the theatre at "free admission", right: audience leaving the theatre and discovering a 40 Pfennig "exit charge".
36. 1900 - Miss Rosie (weight 36 stone). Holding a bouquet of flowers General Collections Keywords: Entertainment; Headline; Celebrity; Circus; Act; Obesity; Freak Show; Personality.
37. 1900 - Baxter's roundabout (cropped). Carousel at St Kilda, Victoria, Australia operated by William and Fred Baxter. They also operated the shooting-gallery to the right of the picture, which is.
38. 1902 - On the beach at Coney Island, New York, 1902. Photochrom print of beachgoers at Coney Island, New York.
39. 1902 - 1996.164.5-2 bw SL1. H.S. Lewis. Johnstown Flood, Coney Island, 1902. negative. Prints, Drawings and Photographs. Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.5-2. (1996.164.5-2_bw_SL1.jpg).
40. 1903 - Japanese Village Luna Park Coney Island Eugene Wemlinger 1903 Brooklyn Museum. Eugene Wemlinger. Japanese Village, Luna Park, 1903. Cellulose nitrate negative Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.10-2 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1996.164.10-2_IMLS_SL2.jpg).
41. 1904 - Coney Island. 1 drawing on brown paper: pastel crayon, pencil.
42. 1904 - Chute the Chutes, Luna Park, Coney Island. 1 drawing on reddish brown paper: pencil, colored pencil.
43. 1904 - The balloon, Coney Island. 1 drawing on brown paper: pencil, colored pencil.
44. 1905-05-21 - Coney Island, Casa de Oswaldo Cruz (DL-VP-RF-04-197). Diapositivo; cor. Parte da coleção de Dyrce Lacombe, do acervo da Casa de Oswaldo Cruz.
45. 1906 - Bird's eye view Coney Island. Physical 1 print. Associated name on shelflist card: Mark, John G.; This record contains unverified data from PGA shelflist card.
46. 1906 - Luna Park Coney Island Eugene Wemlinger 1906 Brooklyn Museum. Eugene Wemlinger. Luna Park, Coney Island, 1906. Cellulose nitrate negative, 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (. Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.10-18 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1996.164.10-18_IMLS_SL2.jpg).
47. 1906 - LunaParkPostcarHeartOfConeyIsland. Postcard view "Entrance to Luna Park, Coney Island N.Y.".
48. 1907 - Dreamland Coney Island Eugene Wemlinger 1907 Brooklyn Museum. Eugene Wemlinger. Dreamland, 1907. Cellulose nitrate negative Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.10-19 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1996.164.10-19_IMLS_SL2.jpg).
49. 1907 - Postcard from Lottie to Robert Ingalls. Postcard of the Globe Tower Coney Island, New York with the text, "Would you like to visit here sometime?".
50. 1908 - Bird's-eye views of Coney Island, N.Y. 1 photomechanical print: halftone.
51. 1908-10-31 - La Vie au grand air - Chevaux plongeurs. Spectacle de chevaux plongeurs à Coney-Island.
52. 1909 - View of Coney Island Eugene Wemlinger 1909 Brooklyn Museum. Eugene Wemlinger. View of Coney Island, 1909. Cellulose nitrate negative Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.10-28 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1996.164.10-28_IMLS_SL2.jpg).
53. 1909 - Luna Park Coney Island Helter Skelter 2 Eugene Wemlinger 1909 Brooklyn Museum. Eugene Wemlinger. Luna Park, Coney Island, 1909. Cellulose nitrate negative, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (. Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.10-23 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1996.164.10-23_IMLS_SL2.jpg).
54. 1910 - Steeplechase Park, Coney Island, 1910 Eugene Wemlinger Brooklyn Museum. Eugene Wemlinger. Steeplechase Park, Coney Island, 1910. Cellulose nitrate negative, 3 1/. (. Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.10-1 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1996.164.10-1_IMLS_SL2.jpg).
55. 1912 - Florists' review (microform). Prizes hung above a stall for display.
56. 1912 - Surf Avenue West by Underhill. Surf Avenue West on Coney Island, New York.
57. 1913 - Volksfest Nürnberg 1913 Emil Stahl. Emil Stahl, Motiv: Ballonverkäufer.
58. 1915 - Fête foraine à Sainte-Adresse : attractions pavoisées / A. M. Noël, photographe, Le. Sujet: Fêtes foraines Vie urbaine Sainte-Adresse (Seine-Maritime, France) Donateur: Manneville, Philippe (1937-2012). Donateur Donateur: Manneville, Philippe (1937-2012).
59. 1915 - (Brooklyn) Coney Island. Fortepan 2377. Mock-up of Coney Island Express. Possibly a tourist photo composition.
60. 1920 - Cecil Howard - Fête de l'Arcouest 1920-30 b. French historian Charles Seignobos dancing at the annual summer party of the village of l'Arcouest, in Brittany, during the twenties.
61. 1923 - (L'artiste de cirque nain) Robert Gaudin (i.e. Grondin, avec son épouse) Mrs Ruby. Sujet: Femmes -- Portraits Obèses -- Portraits Nains -- Portraits Couples -- Portraits Portraits collectifs -- 1914-1945 Référence bibliographique: Rol, 80475.
62. 1928 - Plage de Coney Island (Pacific) - btv1b53203964g. Sujet: Plages -- New York (N.Y., États-Unis) -- Quartier de Coney Island New York (N.Y., États-Unis) -- Quartier de Coney Island Vues aériennes -- 1914-1945 Référence bibliographique: Rol.
63. 1928 - Plage aux Etats-Unis (Pacific) - btv1b53203621b. Sujet: Plages -- États-Unis Baigneuses -- États-Unis Baigneurs -- États-Unis États-Unis Référence bibliographique: Rol.
64. 1930 - 121 Hoedic Procession Fête-Dieu. Procession de la Fête-Dieu à Hœdic vers 1930 (photographie de Saint-Just Péquart).
65. 1935 - Circus-Poster-Coney-Island. Silkscreen poster for a Federal Theatre Project Circus performance at Coney Island.
66. 1935 - Friends and Family. Side Show. Belmont Park, Cartierville, Montreal. Kiosk where are exhibited curiosities of nature as a miniature horse and another eight hooves.
67. 1938 - Photograph of Shelter in Recreation Exhibit from the Michigan State Fair in Detroit. Shelter in recreation exhibit, Mi State Fair, Detroit, 1938. Lower Mich NF.
68. 1938 - Photograph of Incinerator and Fountain in Recreation Exhibit from the Michigan State. Incinerator and fountain in recreation exhibit. Michigan State Fair, Detroit, Lower Mi NF.
69. 1938 - SLNSW 11495 Tex Mortons Cowboy Roadshow A study of a cowboy. Cowboy rodeo rough riders, Lance Skuthorpe Jnr, Pitt Street, Sydney, Australia, February 1938, by Sam Hood from original nitrate negative, Home and Away - 8959.
70. 1941 - Freak show 1941. A freak show at the Rutland Fair in Rutland, Vermont.
71. 2007-12-30 - ABC News 20/20 Carnival games (2 of 2). Second part of a network investigation into midway stalls, including operator responses to the odds the reporters measured.
72. 2007-12-30 - ABC News 20/20 Carnival games (1 of 2). Network news investigation into midway stalls, testing several games against the odds implied by their stated rules.
73. 2012-08-24 - On the Road: The carnival game master. Profile of a veteran midway operator who describes how a stall is built, priced and run across a season on the circuit.
74. 2014-03-14 - Timeshift E08 Eyes Down The Story Of Bingo. Television documentary on the numbers draw game in Britain, following its move from seaside halls into large commercial clubs and the licensing that governed them.
75. 2016-10-31 - Goose Fair Showmen documentary 2015. Showman families describe building up a large city fair, covering ground allocation, the order of pitches and how stall trade differs from ride trade.
76. 2017-03-24 - Hard Labour James Mellors Funfair Documentary Part 1/2. Ground crews build up and pull down a travelling funfair, showing the labour behind the rides and the stalls that trade alongside them.
77. 2017-07-16 - The History of the American Carnival - Part I. Origins of the travelling carnival in the United States, tracing the midway layout back to exposition grounds of the 1890s.
78. 2017-10-03 - The History of the American Carnival - Part II. Second instalment on the travelling carnival in America, covering the concession trade and how stall operators contracted with route owners.
79. 2017-10-22 - Hollywood and the Traveling Carnival - A short documentary film - Carnival History. Short film on how the travelling carnival has been portrayed on screen and where those depictions diverge from the trade itself.
80. 2018-06-27 - Raffle Legislation Taking Effect. Local news item on a change in state raffle rules, setting out which organisations may run a draw and the reporting the law requires of them.
81. 2018-08-12 - The Risky World of Hardcore Bingo (Gambling Documentary) | Real Stories. Documentary following players at high stakes bingo sessions, covering the buy in levels and the prize structures the halls advertise.
82. 2020-01-28 - Life as a Showman Fun Fair Documentary 1997. Filmed account of travelling fair families in 1997, covering the circuit of grounds, the equipment haul and how stalls and rides are pitched together.
83. 2020-01-30 - The Final Days of the Traveling Carnival - a short documentary film. Short film on a travelling carnival winding down its season, following the concession stalls as the midway is dismantled.
84. 2021-06-29 - It's Not fun It's Not Fair - A showman documentary. Portrait of travelling fair operators describing ground rents, the seasonal circuit and the economics of running stalls and rides.
85. 2021-09-20 - What's the Law: From fantasy football to raffles - what’s legal. Legal explainer covering which prize draws and contests are permitted under state law and where the line falls against unlicensed gaming.
86. 2022-04-13 - RACIST CARNIVAL GAMES of the 1930's and 1940's: WHEN VIOLENCE AND MOCKERY WAS "AMUSING".. Examines midway stalls of the 1930s and 1940s whose targets and prizes were built around racial caricature, placing those games within the wider concession trade of the travelling carnival.
87. 2022-09-16 - Nice Try But No Cigar: The History of the Traveling Carnival. Survey of the travelling carnival trade covering the route system, the midway stall layout and the prize structures used on the games.
88. 2022-11-27 - 2007: Can BINGO Survive the SMOKING BAN? | Midlands Today | Voice of the People | BBC Archive. Regional news report on commercial bingo halls in 2007, with operators describing attendance after the indoor smoking prohibition came into force.
89. 2023-04-20 - Raffling for a Cause: Navigating Nonprofit Raffle Regulations, with Ed Chansky. Legal briefing for charitable organisations on raffle compliance, covering registration, permitted prize values and the states where draws are restricted.
90. 2023-08-13 - The Story of the Hoppings British Travelling Funfair Documentary. Documentary on a long running travelling fair in the north of England, covering the showman families, the ground layout and the side stalls alongside the rides.
91. 2023-08-16 - TRUCKING HISTORY LOOKING BACK GOOSE FAIR 1997 PULL OFF. Footage of the haulage operation moving a large travelling fair off its ground in 1997, showing the scale of equipment involved.
92. 2024-07-21 - All The Fun | A History of the Fair | Documentary | British Fairground Heritage. Survey of fairground heritage in Britain, covering the transition from livestock and hiring fairs to mechanised rides and the side stall trade.
93. 2024-12-20 - Anthony Harris interview - National Fairground and Circus Archive at 30 Podcast. Interview marking three decades of a university archive devoted to fairground and circus material, covering what the collection holds and how it was assembled.
94. 2025-01-10 - From Cinema to Bingo Hall: The Story of Prescot Picture Palace. Heritage account of a picture palace converted into a bingo hall, a change of use repeated across many British town centre cinemas.
95. 2026-02-27 - 1981: Nottingham's Goose Fair | The Golden Goose | BBC Archive. Archive film of a long established autumn fair in the English midlands, following the ground being built up and the stall holders working the crowd.
96. 2026-04-09 - The History of Bingo - From 16th Century Italy to Britain's Favourite Night Out. Traces the numbers draw game from an Italian state lottery through its spread into commercial halls in Britain.
97. 2026-07-13 - TOLEFUN Professional Commercial Carnival Games Manufacturer. Manufacturer catalogue of commercial midway games, listing the stall units sold to operators and the prize tiers they are built around.