Immediately after laying eyes on John F. Kasson’s Amusing the Million, the audience can gather a wide array of impressions. The image embodies many fundamental elements that are associated with Coney Island and even amusement parks of today. This picture lends knowledge to the way the American society and its culture were changing at the turn of the twentieth century. Before this time period, Americans were seldom able to take time out of their busy schedules to relax and enjoy amusements. These growing changes and opportunities in this particular time period were crucial in the development of people’s social lives in the years to come.
An amusement park, for people in this image and for people today, is a place for a short reprieve from
