Glen
Moderator
The desire of the people for leisure and amusement has deep roots, with the most obvious example being festivals and the medieval Fair. Fairs had long been held in Europe, and they would be imported to the Americas as well, with the biggest examples being the State Fairs in the United States and Provincial Fairs in the Dominion of Southern America. Another parallel development on a more regular basis was the Pleasure Garden or Park, many of which included areas for outdoor activities, music, and exhibits of botanical or zoological specimens.
By the 19th Century, France introduced to the world of leisure the Exposition, starting with a series in the first part of the 19th century but which quickly spread, first to London and Quebec City, but over the next century several World Expositions would be held. While demonstrating the advances of science, technology, and industry they often did so in an enjoyable manner, such as ever growing Great Wheels and Rushing Monsters (an English corruption or play on the original name of Russian Mountain).
The mid to late 19th century was the heyday of the Rail Parks and Seaside Parks, to draw the growing urban population to the railways on the weekends. Many of the parks drew inspiration from the fairs, gardens, and expositions of the past.
In the late 19th century war-gaming and role-playing were all the rage, and by the early 20th century some had taken the elements of historical reenactment and used them to bring to life the games they had concocted, often in parks and gardens, which began to provide props and settings to entice games to their locales.
A last curious contribution to the leisure movement grew out of another great leisure activity, the kinee, specifically tours of the kinee studios. Started as a side business to make some extra money off the interest of aficionados of the kinee, interest in them grew even greater after the Population War and eventually the big studios of San Diego, New York, and London built added facilities and distractions to accommodate the growing demand, tapping into the talents of their set designers.
One of the biggest attractions in the Dominion was Blue Star Studios, and in the United States it was Coney Island.
By the 19th Century, France introduced to the world of leisure the Exposition, starting with a series in the first part of the 19th century but which quickly spread, first to London and Quebec City, but over the next century several World Expositions would be held. While demonstrating the advances of science, technology, and industry they often did so in an enjoyable manner, such as ever growing Great Wheels and Rushing Monsters (an English corruption or play on the original name of Russian Mountain).
The mid to late 19th century was the heyday of the Rail Parks and Seaside Parks, to draw the growing urban population to the railways on the weekends. Many of the parks drew inspiration from the fairs, gardens, and expositions of the past.
In the late 19th century war-gaming and role-playing were all the rage, and by the early 20th century some had taken the elements of historical reenactment and used them to bring to life the games they had concocted, often in parks and gardens, which began to provide props and settings to entice games to their locales.
A last curious contribution to the leisure movement grew out of another great leisure activity, the kinee, specifically tours of the kinee studios. Started as a side business to make some extra money off the interest of aficionados of the kinee, interest in them grew even greater after the Population War and eventually the big studios of San Diego, New York, and London built added facilities and distractions to accommodate the growing demand, tapping into the talents of their set designers.
One of the biggest attractions in the Dominion was Blue Star Studios, and in the United States it was Coney Island.
Someday soon I'll catch up to the current state of this timeline.
