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Coney Island Incubator Sideshows

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Coney Island Incubator Sideshows

Martin Couney was the proprietor of “incubator baby exhibits” at many of the large Expositions and World’s Fairs at the turn of the 20th century, starting with the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha in 1898, and continuing through the New York World’s Fair of 1939. He also operated more permanent incubator sideshows at several amusement parks; the best known and documented are Dreamland and Luna Park at Coney Island, New York. According to news reports at that time, at least 8000 babies passed through the Coney Island incubators, and at least 6500 survived.

Photograph is courtesy of Beth Allen, used with permission, and may not be used elsewhere without permission of the owner – bethallen@optonline.net

Above: The Luna Park incubator sideshow entrance at night, ca. 1941.

“Life begins at the BABY INCUBATORS. Here trained nurses care for premature and weakly born infants. For forty years the Baby Incubators have attracted the attention of men, women, and children. An educational journey through a spotless, strictly hygienic, miniature hospital. It is housed on the Boardwalk adjacent to the entrance of Steeplechase Park.” — Coney Island Tourist Booklet, undated, but appears to be late 1930s or early 1940s, by Jo Ranson.

The Incubator Sideshow entrance is seen behind the Luna Ride. Source: Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
https://blogs.cul.columbia.edu/longview/2018/10/under-the-lens-coney-islands-baby-incubators/ 

The sideshow at Luna Park operated from 1903 to 1945.

“Beth Allen was born 2 months premature in 1941. Desperate to save her, and with few other options — hospitals of the day had no facilities for premature infants — Beth’s parents placed her in the care of Dr. Martin Couney… who for decades operated his neonatal care facility as a 10 cent sideshow at Coney Island.” — — Coney Island History Project web site.

Beth Allen has been kind enough to let us use a number of her photographs. An interview with Beth Allen is available on the Coney Island History web site, along with an interview with her cousin Terry Silverman.

Photograph is courtesy of Beth Allen, used with permission, and may not be used elsewhere without permission of the owner – bethallen@optonline.net

Above: A picture of Beth Allen and Martin Couney taken in 1941 at Luna Park.

Photograph is courtesy of Beth Allen, used with permission, and may not be used elsewhere without permission of the owner – bethallen@optonline.net

Above: Visiting Beth Allen.

Photograph is courtesy of Beth Allen, used with permission, and may not be used elsewhere without permission of the owner – bethallen@optonline.net

Above: Beth Allen’s incubator.

Photograph is courtesy of Beth Allen, used with permission, and may not be used elsewhere without permission of the owner – bethallen@optonline.net

Above: Beth Allen close-up in the incubator.

Photograph is courtesy of Beth Allen, used with permission, and may not be used elsewhere without permission of the owner – bethallen@optonline.net

Above: Beth Allen being held by one of the nurses in the Coney Island Incubator exhibit on the Midway.

Photograph is courtesy of Beth Allen, used with permission, and may not be used elsewhere without permission of the owner – bethallen@optonline.net

Above: Beth Allen and Lecturer O’Neill.

Photograph is courtesy of Beth Allen, used with permission, and may not be used elsewhere without permission of the owner – bethallen@optonline.net

Above: Beth Allen in her bassinet, after graduation from the incubator.

Above: Three nurses from the Coney Island exhibit, holding six premature infants having an average weight of 2 pounds.

Above: When the census was high, premies shared an incubator.

Source: New York Daily Tribune, July 10, 1903, page 7.

Martin Couney’s exhibit at Dreamland was similar to the Luna Park exhibit, but relatively short-lived. Dreamland, built in 1904 and one of Coney Island’s three amusement parks, was considered more “refined and orderly” than Luna Park and Steeplechase Park.

Source: The Fort Wayne Sentinel, August 6, 1904.

When a fire destroyed Dreamland in 1911, the babies were moved to the Luna Park incubator exhibit. Perhaps the first emergency transport of sick newborns on a large scale! Consequently, most of the pictures and documentation still available are focused on Luna Park.

New York Times, May 28, 1911.

A 1917 fire at Luna Park also endangered the babies:

New York Times, August 20, 1917.

The incubators at Luna Park and Dreamland received plenty of free publicity in local newspapers over the years.

New York Times August 1, 1904.
New York Times, Sept. 4, 1904.

Martin Couney was also a dealer for the Kny-Scheerer Co. incubators, manufactured under license from Alexandre Lion, that he used in his exhibits. Evidently the “Incubator Company” was one of his DBAs.

Martin Arthur Couney

Martin Couney Exhibits in World’s Fairs and National Expositions

Martin Couney Sideshows in Amusement Parks

Recent Books

General Articles

General articles about Martin Couney and his exhibits are linked below. Additional links may be found in specific posts about his participation in expositions or sideshows.

Keep in mind that many of these were written before the full facts about Martin Couney’s background became known, or have not incorporated that new information, so they include information from his self-invented background legend.