Looking for any info available on this vintage photo. The photo is approximately 6” x 5” and appears to be a legitimate photograph. Unfortunately, it is glued to a piece of cardboard so I can’t access the back of the paper. There is a sign in the upper left that reads ‘??? this wheel at your own risk’, and I thought there was another faint sign somewhere in the photo about a fair, but now I can’t see it.
2 Likes
„ride“. If you look closely, and start with the assumption that it‘s ride, you can see it‘s „ride this wheel at your own risk“. I‘m wondering about the platform their riding on. It‘s clearly higher in the center, but why?
I wonder if the whole thing could be made to spin, when riding on it… it just kinda looks that way, but I don‘t see any hard evidence for this in the picture. The reflections on it could be interpreted this way, but this could as well be a coincidence.
1 Like
I’ll bet it spins.
People would pile on and the wheel would start slowly and then gradually pick up speed to throw all off. Last one on wins.
I’ll bet the talented carnies combined their riding skills with this wheel to put on another show.
Riding at different speeds (wheel and rider),the combined mechanics could display some unnatural visuals for the spectator.
Just my guess.
1 Like
Looks similar to the Coney Island Human Roulette Wheel.
1 Like
Oh, I didn’t even think of the possibility of it being self-propelled. I thought it could possibly spin due to the impulse of the riders. But your suggestion would make for a really interesting ride, underlining the warning words - “ride this wheel at your own risk”. Man, I’d love to ride such a thing (ok, I guess I could try not to UPD when idling in a moving train. I actually did, recently, with no success).
I blew up the photo and tried to enhance it, but I did not find any discernable additional signage. As to youR first sign, it definitely says “RIDE” THIS WHEEL AT YOUR OWN RISK.
yes and maybe it should be flying into the air like a saucer. It is clearly alien.
Nah, I see no evidence of blinking lights or mysterious fog, so clearly not a flying saucer.
Okay, okay, hear me out.
Step 1. Design a large apparatus that can launch the big disc like a frisbee.
Step 2. Launch the big disc with two unicyclists on top
Step 3. Have both unicyclists ride unis on top of the now flying disc frisbee
Step 4. Profit from the tourists flooding the local town from the now famous UFO (Unicyclists on a Flying Object)
That’s how physics works, right? 
1 Like
I dunno… unicyclists tend to have rather poor aerodynamics, so I don’t really see this working.