Bartlett, John Norman, c1892 - 1972
Dates
- Existence: c1892 - 1972
Biography
John Norman Bartlett was born in England in 1892 and moved to the USA after serving during the First World War as an aircraft pilot.
During service he used to perform dangerous stunts and upon being released from service he became involved with racing cars. A trained engineer, Bartlett developed an interest in building fairground rides. He built rides for the carnivals in north America and also worked with British firms such as Orton & Spooner.
He is credited with patenting the first type of Bobsled Coaster in 1926, known as the Flying Turns, a trackless wooden chute simulating a bobsled course. Bartlett met John Miller in 1928, and they commenced building the new ride.
The first Flying Turns was built in Lakeside Park in Ohio in 1929. Bartlett opened seven further wooden Bobsled Coasters in the USA between 1930 and 1941, including at Euclid Beach Park, Cleveland in 1930, Rocky Point Amusement Park, Rhode Island in 1931 and the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933, which was moved to Chicago’s Riverside Park after the fair closed in 1935.
In 1935 a Flying Turns was also built at Fyns Tivoli, Odense, Denmark, which was moved and rebuilt at the Brussels International Exposition in 1935, Berlin Olympics in 1936, Bakken near Copenhagen in the late 1930s, and finally back to Fyns Tivoli in 1951. Bartlett’s last Flying Turns was built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and moved to Coney Island when the event closed in 1940.
Found in 51 Collections and/or Records:
Revolving Speedway Car Assembly Blueprint, 11 March 1936
Blueprint showing the side elevation of the body of a revolving speedway car by Norman Bartlett N Tonawanda N.Y. scale 3".
Revolving Speedway Car Blueprint, 18 March 1936
Blueprint of body section lines for a revolving speedway car by Norman Bartlett N Tonawanda N.Y. scale 3".
Revolving Speedway Car Blueprint, 18 March 1936
Blueprint showing the side elevation of the body of a speedway car by Norman Bartlett N Tonawanda N.Y. scale 3".
Revolving Speedway Car Blueprint, 18 March 1936
Plan view of revolving speedway car by Norman Bartlett N Tonawanda N.Y. scale 3".
Revolving Speedway Lifting Stairway Blueprint, 3 March 1936
Blueprint showing the side elevation of the lifting stairway by Norman Bartlett N Tonawanda N.Y. scale 1/4".
Rib Rail Blueprint, 16 July 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail for Rocket Speedway on horizontal by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale 3/4" .
Rib Rail Blueprint, 16 July 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail for supporting centre of lower sections of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale 3/4".
Rib Rail Blueprint, 16 July 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail for supporting top and upper sections of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale 3/4".
Rib Rail Blueprint, 17 August 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail support center intersection of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale half size.
Rib Rail Blueprint, 19 August 1935
Blueprint showing lower rib rail support for Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale half size.
Rib Rail Blueprint, 17 August 1935
Blueprint showing lower rib rail support for Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale half size.
Rib Rail Blueprint, 17 August 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail support at top of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale half size.
Rib Rail Blueprint, 17 August 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail support at top, joint lower and intersection for Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale half size.
Rib Rail Blueprint, 16 July 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail for supporting bottom of lower sections of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale 3/4".
Rib Rail Blueprint, 16 July 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale 3/4" .
Rib Rail Blueprint, 17 August 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail supports for Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale half size.
Rib Rail Blueprint, 8 August 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail support for center lower section of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale 3/8".
Rib Rail Blueprint, 15 July 1935
Blueprint showing rib rail support at center of intersection of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda, N.Y. scale 3/4".
Rocket Speedway Blueprint, 13 July 1935
Detail of track intersection by Norman Bartlett, N. Tonawanda N.Y. Scale 1 1/2" to 1 FT. First used on European R.G.
Rocket Speedway Blueprint, February 1935
Plan view of Rocket Speedway by Norman Bartlett N. Tonawanda, N.Y. R.G.1206.
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 50
- Collection 1
- Subject
- Architecture 2
- Ark 4
- Art 1
- Boxing 2
- Cakewalk 1
- Caravans 2
- Coaster 2
- Dodgems 3
- Engineering 50
- Fairground art 2
- Fairs 1
- Gallopers 1
- Games 2
- Ghost train 4
- Helter skelter 2
- Joy wheel 2
- Menageries 1
- Motion pictures 1
- Musical performances 1
- Scenic railway 2
- Showman 1
- Showwoman 1
- Sideshows 2
- Slide 2
- South African War, 1899-1902 1
- Switchback 2
- Transport 2
- Wall of death 2
- War 1
- Water Dodgems 2
- World War, 1914-1918 1
- World War, 1939-1945 1
- Yachts 2 + ∧ less