The Amusement Park: History, Culture and the Heritage of Pleasure

From the turn of the twentieth century, when amusement parks first sprang up in cities and seaside resorts across Britain, their mixture of fantastical architecture, technology and multi-sensory thrills resulted in an appeal that transcended age, gender and class boundaries for decades. This international and interdisciplinary collection of original and thought-provoking essays explores the social history and cultural heritage of the amusement park. It examines the notion of modernity and the heyday of the amusement park in the UK, then compares the UK's experience with a range of international cases, before focusing on their decline, demise, cultural significance, heritage and protection.