Abstract
In a 1922 article summarizing his family's entrepreneurial success, Edward F. Tilyou was sanguine in his assertion that "those of us in the amusement business have studied your psychology and tried to build our business on a few simple fundamental."1 Indeed, the Tilyou family was renowned for its ability to both anticipate and manipulate the entertainment seeking public. Whether manifested in their operations at Coney Island or Atlantic City, the Tilyous' popular culture acumen was effectively intertwined with the entertainment hucksterism pioneered by P.T. Barnum. And while the specific "fundamentals" of the amusement business necessarily evolve over time, understanding the "psychology" of potential patrons was essential for the success-be it Tilyou, Barnum or Disney-of any amusement impresario.
Recommended Citation
Branch, Stephen E.
(2001)
"The Salesman and His Swamp: Dick Pope's Cypress Gardens,"
Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 80:
No.
4, Article 5.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol80/iss4/5
