Inside the Live Reptile Tent: The Twilight World of Carnival Midway
The traveling carnival with its freak shows, cotton candy, nausea-inducing rides and games holds a prominent place in the American consciousness. Photographer Jeff Brouws (Highway: America's Endless Dream) and anthropologist Bruce Caron explore its grotesque, amusing beauty in Inside the Live Reptile Tent: The Twilight World of the Carnival Midway. Some of the photos are desolate a clown sign, faded by decades, welcomes us to the "Fun House," but the "H" doesn't light up. Other images rides by night, a small child in the mouth of an enormous fiberglass shark capture both the artistry and childish excitement of the carnival. While the history in Caron's text will be familiar to readers of American cultural history, it lends helpful context. The book should appeal not only to photography lovers, but to those who love all the chaos and absurdity carnivals represent.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.