The House of Too Much Trouble |
Thoughts and selections from the Coney Island Museum |
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Stauch’s Baths Postcard, 1907
I always wondered what this image was all about. It is only one of several baffling images in our postcard collection, but until recently, I never understood its significance. While researching the Coney Island Mardi Gras Parade for last week’s post, I came across many mentions of the “ticklers” and confetti at the parade.
New York Times, September 19, 1906 - the full article can be found here.
It turns out that these ticklers were the weird feather-duster-like objects in the postcard. Along with confetti, they were very popular among the crowds, but caused quite a few problems at the Mardi Gras Parade.
Originally used to annoy fellow parade-goers, the Mardi Gras Parade, on September 23, 1906, the ticklers were involved in much more mischief. People were beaten by them, “women were insulted,” and fights broke out. People were also throwing confetti mixed with pebbles and tin in the faces of other spectators. Fighting escalated and many were arrested. Things got so out of hand, that the sale of ticklers and confetti had to be stopped.
New York Times, September 26, 1906 - the full article can be found here.
The ticklers and confetti became such a nuisance and health hazard that by 1926, all ticklers and all reused confetti was banned, with the threat of jail to anyone caught with either.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 13, 1926 - see full article here.
After this weekend’s upcoming Mermaid Parade, I hope to find out even more strange little details about some of our more baffling images.
-Katie Karkheck
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Coney Island USA’s 30th annual Mermaid Parade is getting closer and closer. Despite its fame, most people don’t know that parades of this type are nothing new to Coney Island.
Coney Island Mardi Gras Parade Bathing Beauties, 1952
From 1903 until 1953 Coney Island celebrated its annual Mardi Gras Parade after Labor Day, (it was never during actual Mardi Gras). It was created as a fundraiser for the Coney Island Rescue Mission for wayward girls. It evolved into a colorful spectacle of floats, people in costumes, floats, and city officials, complete with its own king and queen.
International Police Conference Mardi Gras Badge
The Coney Island Museum has many objects, photographs and artifacts from the Coney Island Mardi Gras Parade. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to highlight a few.
Mardi Gras Ribbon
Our annual Mermaid Parade pays homage to this aspect of Coney Island history and is guaranteed to be a great time on June 23rd.
-Katie Karkheck
