George Washington Gale Ferris lived and worked for a time period in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, only about two hours away from the PA location of this week's LOL photo.
This "observation wheel" that we now call the Ferris wheel, named for its inventor, began as an idea on a scrap of paper in an effort to create a marvel so magnificent for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair that spectators would forget about the architectural beauty of the previous World's Fair in Paris - the Eiffel Tower. The original Ferris wheel was 264 feet high, held 36 cars that carried 40-60 people each, and cost around $400,000 to construct. It also had bragging rights to a 46 1/2 ton axle which at that time was the largest piece of steel ever forged. The Ferris wheel was an instant success and at 50 cents a ride made a profit of over $750,000 for the exhibition.
To this day, the Ferris wheel is one of the first rides that can be seen from a distance when driving toward almost any fair ground. I'm sure these overgrown bicycle wheels have changed some mechanically since 1893 but really, their looks don't seem to change. I think it's the nostalgia that surrounds them that makes me smile when I see one. A ride that has connected generations. And regardless of the atmosphere while standing on the ground, once atop the very tippy top of the Ferris wheel, all seems the same - small and insignificant.
This week, I got to ride a Ferris wheel - the one in the LOL shot above. The most fun is riding it with a little one that has never before had the experience of stopping on top, swaying side to side, peering out over the car with a bird's eye view...
Makes me smile now just reflecting.
web.mit.edu/invent/iow/ferris.html
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