The Infantorium
Incubator baby shows were a huge hit in early 20th century amusement parks and they were the main source of healthcare for premature babies for over forty years
99% Invisible · Roman Mars
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Show Notes
“Incubators for premature babies were, oddly enough, a phenomenon at the turn of the 20th century that was available at state and county fairs and amusement parks rather than hospitals,” explains Lauren Rabinowitz, an amusement park historian. If you wanted your at-risk premature baby to survive, you pretty much had to bring them to an amusement park. These incubator shows cropped up all over America. And they were a main source of healthcare for premature babies for over forty years.
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