'The Strange Case Of Dr. Couney' Tells Of Fair Sideshows That Saved Babies' Lives
In a mosaic mystery told in vignettes, cliffhangers, curious asides, and some surreal plot twists, journalist Dawn Raffel investigates the secrets of the man who changed infant care in America.
"Don't forget to see the babies!"
The barker's slogan echoed from Coney Island to Omaha, from the early 1900s until after World War II, enticing midway sightseers to approach a notorious sideshow.
The attractions: premature newborns in state-of-the-art incubators.
The man behind it? Well, that's trickier.
Writer Dawn Raffel discovered a chance mention of the 1933 Century of Progress in Chicago in her late chronicles her trip down a historical rabbit hole, uncovering (and recovering) the incubator attractions and the history around them. It's a mosaic mystery told in vignettes, cliffhangers, curious asides, and some surreal plot twists as Raffel investigates the secrets of the man who changed infant care in America.
