Trip to the Moon – The Dawn of Electric Storytelling
In 1901 Frederick Thompson conceived of and designed a revolutionary new
entertainment experience. Entitled Trip to the Moon, it was a popular
amusement ride that entertained thousands of people and would become the
namesake and centrepiece of Coney Island’s Luna Park. The most notable point
about Thompson’s invention in broader media theory is that it was conceived a
year before a far more famous cinematic work of the same name. Directed by
George Méliès, ‘Voyage Dans La Lune’ screened in Paris in 1902. Melies film is
one of the most iconic works of early cinema and has been influential in our
contemporary understanding of cinematic space. Whilst numerous academics
have pointed out the similarity in the two works, there is no interrogation of
Thompsons work and its specific importance in our contemporary media
landscape. This paper will explore the technology and the experience of Trip to
the Moon as well as reflect on how non‐cinematic narrative media has been
influenced by early experiences of this type.
Trip to the Moon made its debut at the Buffalo Worlds Fair of 1901. One of the
most innovative aspects of this fair was the prevalence of electricity, in particular
electric light. It was the purpose of world fairs to exhibit the most cutting edge
examples of American technology and Buffalo was no exception. Enormous light
towers, promenade streetlights and roving spotlights illuminated every inch of
the fair. This type of technology and opulence had only just begun to appear in
entertainment zones and was not commonplace in suburban areas. The
establishment and success of world’s fairs across the US helped build huge
infrastructure and lured people from the country areas into the major centres.
Thompson’s attraction was the first to utilize electric light indoors and in a
sequential fashion. This meant that he could adapt and expand on one of the
most popular formats of the 19th century entertainment; the Panorama. From
the 18th to the late 19th century the panorama painting was a widespread form of
popular entertainment. Enormous wrap around images were installed into
spaces as a way of placing the viewer into that environment. The spectacular
works would attract paying visitors and were a unique extension of amusement
and cultural spectacle. It was a way of experiencing images that would later be
co‐opted by the early picture palaces in the way that large projections where
viewed. In the book The panorama: history of a mass medium, author Stephan
Oettermann talks specifically to this idea; he outlines the mediums importance
as not merely pre‐cinematic but as critical in the evolution of modern
entertainment;
‘The television of today is a direct descendant of the Panorama…. an
injection of vicarious adventure and excitement… while keeping the body
immobilized.’ (44‐97)
Panorama and Cyclorama works melded the visual science of 17th century tromp
l’oeil Paintings with the trend in large format historical images popular in the
United States. The content of these entertainments would usually be of historical
or geographical interest and very infrequently focus on fictional texts. One of the
most famous cycloramas ‘The Battle of Gettysburg’ by Paul Philippoteaux
measured over one hundred meters in length when rolled out flat. This image, ‐a
hybrid of traditional art fascination and illusionistic spectacle‐ was housed at a
specially built facility in Boston from 1883i. The cyclorama was a static form of
image presentation, exemplary of the pre industrial, pre‐electricity era. As
Oettermann noted, the level of engagement was akin to relaxing in front of the
TV. In 1907 one of the newest and most touted attractions to feature at Coney
Island’s Luna Park was a gigantic panorama of a sea wreckii. Subtle passive
installations like this co existed with the roller coasters and Ferris wheels that
typified the amusement park skyline. In Buffalo Frederick Thompson designed a
new type of panorama, one that positioned the audience ‐not as passively
immersed onlookers‐ but participants in a journey. Thompson’s new creation
didn’t depict a scene from history but rather a famous tale, a narrative
experience. Entitled A Trip to the Moon, the experience took clear influence from
two great works of science fiction literature; Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the
Moon (1865) and HG Well’s The First Men in the Moon (1901). Carnival
attractions and science fiction literature were linked in their desire to entertain
through fantasies of technical innovation. Verne tried to distance himself from
such direct links between his literary pursuits and those of the fairground. Wells
in contrast was overt. Deborah Phillips writes about his celebration of popular
entertainment and the carnival:
‘Well’s clearly acknowledges the appropriation of technological
knowledge for the fairground and recognises the alliance of science and
carnival. In his The Time Machine (1895) the inventor is well aware of the
entertainment potential for his machine, and fully expects ‘the
distinguished honour of an offer from Mr. Barnum to exhibit him‘
(Fairground Attractions p197)
Thompson’s ride at the fair was far more than a cyclorama; it invited participants
to come on a journey that allowed them to interact with a popular work of
fiction. The experience had a narrative structure, with a theatrical beginning and
end. The ride begins before any mechanics or special effects have been
triggered, with the audience entering the large building, climbing a set of stairs
and being forced to walk across a precarious ramp on to a small boat. This
strange vessel with wings sits suspended in the middle of a darkened room,
appearing to float. The cyclorama or influence thereof is evident in the curved
walls that surround the boat. Images are not visible at first and the participants
enter a completely dark auditoriumiii. Although there are few eyewitness
reports we do know that a crucial element of the production was the ability to
control the light dramatically. In an article for The Century Magazine, Albert
Bigelow Paine wrote of his experience on the ride: ‘Suddenly there was a
darkening, followed by complete blackness. Lightning flashed across the sky’iv.
This is a crucial difference in the form that the ride took, compared to other thrill
rides and roller coasters of the day. It showed a mediated and controlled way to
conjure up atmosphere in a specific temporal sequence. Images were unveiled
bit by bit using sets of lights attached to the rim of the boat, which turned on and
off revealing the painted murals. Small Stereopticon’s were installed underneath
and above the boatv. These devices –unlike the stereoscope‐ were little more
than small sets of slide projectors. The main role of of the stereopticon was its
ability to fade seamlessly between two projected still images. With two of these
devices positioned atop the boat and two below (out of site) we see an early
example of a 360‐degree immersive environment.
As the performance began in earnest the cyclorama reveals itself as an image of
Buffalo from above. This specific geographical image decorates the area at the
base of the installation below the participants in the boat. To their sides there
are layers of cloud painted onto screens. Soon the giant wings of the ship begin
to flap and cycloramic images of the ground morph into more distant solitary
lights. Four layers of cloud images are scrolled vertically in perfect sync with the
movement of the boat. The layers are semi transparent and move at different
speeds to give the impression of depth to the surrounds. Key texts about the
work by Woody Registervi and Matthew Solomonvii both quote an article by
Julian Hawthorne, where he talks more specifically about the very real feeling of
flight as the boat or vessel rocks and shakes in the wind:
‘...We find ourselves passing through a thunder‐cloud, and the lightning
flashes round us, and the thunder rolls, the wind howls, and the ship
sways in it. But our speed is immense, and anon we have risen above the
clouds, and now before us, beneath us, is revealed another planet—
actually the moon herself!viii’
This early precursor to the amusement park ride is an incredible hybrid of many
styles of entertainment made possible with the advent of Electricity. The
technology involved in the presentation of Trip to the Moon can be found in
many of the fairground inventions of the late 19th century. Effects like the
undulating and rocking of the ship can be found in the switchback and scenic
railroad made popular in British fairground amusementsix. Some level of
sequencing and light play was evident in the Tunnel of Love Rides or Swan Rides
popular in the USA. In those cases participants had to rely on gravity or a
rudimentary pulley system propelling them through a water based track. What
is new about Trip to the moon is its ability to control light, space and sound
synchronously. With the use of electricity the boat could be moved around
without the need for loud motors, wind could be conjured up and sets
illuminated. All this with the ability to be repeat the entire event show after
show.
In her paper “Dark Rides, Hybrid Machines and the Horror Experience” Angela
Ndalianis, (2010) describes ‘Trip to the moon’ as an early example of a ‘Dark
Ride’. She explains that its influence can be seen in contemporary
entertainments such as Disney’s Revenge of the Mummy ride. A trip to the moon
has all of the defining features of what would come to be known as a Dark Ridex.
The type of rides that would become popular in the mid twentieth century for
their simple use of electrified tracks and spooky installations. Investigating the
specific patent of this ride reveals a description of the ride as a ‘Scenic
Apparatus’, perhaps knowingly creating a hybrid of the popular outdoor ride the
Scenic Railway. Thompson’s invention shows a hybrid use of visual effects that
would later be popularised by cinema, a fact exemplified but the premiere only
nine months later of Melies’ famed film. A direct influence of Thompson’s ride on
Melies cannot be proven categorically as the texts were undoubtedly part of the
popular zeitgeistxi. None the less it shows that whilst the evolution of
storytelling in the cinema evolved, so too did the evolution of this type of hybrid
media practice. In the case of Thomson’s ride we see the Dark Ride translation of
a text preceding cinema. Mathew Solomon’s paper ‘A Trip to the Fair; or, Moon‐
Walking in Space’ (Suny 2011) features the most in depth descriptions of the
ride and comparisons to Melies’ work. Solomon’s research portrays work that
did as much, if not more, to blend together spatial design and hybrid narrativity
than its cinematic counterpart:
‘Apart from serving as a possible inspiration, whether direct or indirect, it is
worth pointing out that the film, like the ride, involves a journey to the
moon in which passengers begin as passive spectators of a two‐dimensional
display, but then become more active parts of a three‐dimensional
experience.’
In contemporary discourse Melies film has achieved far more notoriety than
Thompson’s work. Whilst there has always been a nostalgic appraisal of Melies’
work, interpretations have become far more engaged in recent decades. Popular
analysis now recognizes films of this early period as greatly influential on
contemporary screen practice. This is due in no small part the academic writing
of Tom Gunning. Gunning’s many papers have brought about a new
understanding of the importance and interpretation of early cinema. In his
article Shooting into Outer Space: Reframing Modern Vision (1997) Gunning
speaks specifically to Méliès’ Trip to the Moon.
A Trip to the Moon reflects the intermedial palimpsest that typified early
cinema (and I would argue cinema for most of its history) and all these
sources contributed to the film’s use of space. One could claim that Méliès’s
film explores the new composite space of cinema as imaginatively as its
astronomers did outer space
Here we see Gunning make reference not only to the lineage of these early films
but the specific influence that it had on cinema’s sense of space. Thierry
Lefebvre adds more pointedly to the discussion in “A Trip to the Moon: A
Composite Film” (2002). Here he seeks to understand if Méliès might have first
seen Thompson ride before producing his film. He also examines some of the
similarities between the two works:
Several similarities are found between Méliès’s film and the Buffalo
attraction. In each case, the story unfolds in three distinct parts: the
preparations for the journey, the journey itself, and the moon landing are
believable enough; the encounter with the Selenites is pure fantasy; and the
return to earth mystification pure and simple.
Too often the history of immersive entertainment and interactive media is linked
to either early cinema or sometimes more adventurously; to the theatre. In
Thompsons Trip to the Moon we see a literary text adapted into a hybrid form
where there is no cinematic precedent. Proof that the ride format had evolved
into its own medium and that Trip to the Moon is the first example of an
electronic incarnation of such an experience. Recognizing trip to the moon as a
Dark Ride helps define the other media that it has influenced since this early
example. Dark Rides are known today as a type of entertainment that holds both
nostalgic and some contemporary relevance, but often it is in direct reference to
cinema. In the 1950’s the resurgence of amusement park culture saw Universal’s
studios re‐imagining classic horror figures and re‐interpreting them in ride form.
Today the connection between ride culture and cinema is stronger than ever;
with rides even influencing the production of the cinema content. Defining the
work of the earliest Dark Rides and other pre‐cinematic rides is crucial in trying
to define a history of spatial storytelling that runs parallel to readings of cinema.
At the time Thompson’s trip to the moon was a massive success. Not only was it
the most popular ride at the Buffalo exposition, within a year it was reworked as
a new ride at Coney Island’s Luna Park. Thompson would go on to become one
of the most successful ride developers at Coney Island, continuing to develop
works of hybrid content. The public response to Thompson’s first ride was
phenomenal throughout the early 20th century. It was duplicated and toured
around many fairs even after a version was moved to Coney Island. In his paper
‘A Trip to the Moon as an American Phenomenon’ (2011) Richard Abel describes
in detail the cultural response to Thompson's work. Noting how it was copied
and even imitated not only at fairs but within other art forms:
‘In one form or another, the story of A Trip to the Moon remained so
popular that now amateur groups even took up producing stage
versions… In the summer of 1906, even the 4‐Paw‐Sells Circus came up
with a “most daring and dreadful feat” called Salvo’s Trip to the Moon, in
which riders plunged down a “precipitous roadway,” past a “delicately
poised and frail shaped imitation of the moon,”
Perhaps it is because of this precipitation into other media forms that
Thompsons ride does not live on in the popular consciousness. There is no
doubt that Trip to the Moon triggered a new and accessible way of experiencing
a narrative text. The patent for the ride can be accessed easily and seems as
relevant a plan for any modern theme park or computer game level as anything
of the modern era. Thompson blended popular and proven experiential devices
to create the ultimate technological ride of its day, it may have been co‐opted
into cinema history but its traces are clear and present.
i The work was exhibited at the famed ‘Cyclorama Building’ at the Boston Centre for the artsin
from its inception until it 1965.
ii Described as ‘The Great Shipwreck’ in an article entitled ‘New Wonders This Season at Coney
Island’ the New York Times, April 21, 1907
iii According to Matthew Solomon in his paper A Trip to the Fair; or, Moon‐Walking in Space ‘The
prospective voyagers take their seats in a darkened auditorium, where the guide expresses to
them in pregnant phrases the extraordinary nature of the adventure on which they are
embarking. Then, at the back of the stage, in a starlit sky, the aërial ship in which the voyage is to
be made is seen descending earthward.’
iv Stanton, Jeffrey (1998) p1‐2
v Patent drawings clearly show the projection equipment. See United States Patent Office,
"Scenic Apparatus," patent no. 725.509
vi Register, W. 2003., The Kid of Coney Island: Fred Thompson and the Rise of American
Amusements (Register 2003). Oxford Univ.Press.
vii Solomon, M.,2011. ‘A Trip to the Fair; or, Moon‐Walking in Space’ Fantastic Voyages of the
Cinematic Imagination: Georges Méliès’s Trip to the Moon, State University of New York
viii Hawthorne, Julian., 1901 “Some Novelties at Buffalo Fair,” Cosmopolitan,
Sept. 1901, p490.
ix Similar to the merri‐go‐round the switchback featured an undulating track and was popular
between 1850 and the early 1900’s
x First mention in Mangles, W. 1952., The outdoor amusement industry,: From earliest times to
the present.
xi Thierry Lefebvre wrote in A Trip to the Moon A Composite Film ‐ (2011): It would be
surprising, not to say unbelievable, if Georges Méliès, obsessed as he was with “tricks” and
spectacular novelties, was unaware of Thompson and Dundy’s attraction and its unprecedented
success. In addition, as Charles Musser reports, in May 1901 James White and Edwin Porter shot
several short films about the star attractions of the Buffalo exposition, in particular the Aerio‐
Cycle and A Trip to the Moon. On this occasion Edison published a “Pan‐American Supplement,”
now unfortunately lost, which gave a detailed description of each film. Did Méliès have access to
this brochure and the films it describes? Without proof, we are reduced to conjectures.
