The MASTER Bill Tracey!
Jim Melonic, who bought out Tracey's Company and re-named it: "Fantasy's and Dreams". It was a very successful company with Mr. Melonic at the helm. |
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Most Dark Ride enthusiasts know that Mr. Tracey started out designing window displays for "Macey's" Department Stores in New York City. It is here that he probably got noticed by the still wonderful and historic prop and display company in New York called "Messmore and Damon", who's credits include several past "World's Fair's" exhibits. Noticing the young artist probably got him to have "M&D" help to finance his own company.
Here the trail gets colder. Tracey had at least three separate offices and work complexes though out " "New Jersey". At times he worked out of Northern "Jersey" in Bergen, and at other times he also had a large work shop and complex in "Cape May". As evidenced by one catalog, his company was a solo venture, and in a later version, a stated "Messmore and Damon" company.
In talking to Jim Melonic, who, at first worked for Tracey at his "Amusement Display's" Co. he stated that Tracey, at one time, had a rather large group of employee's working for him. This would dis-spell the myth that Tracey was a one man show! So large was Tracey's Co. that Jim only talked to him once in several years firsthand. There were both Prop People, Office Workers and Set Artists, all helping to drive the Company ahead to numerous projects. All was housed in a gigantic ware house in southern Jersey. Read on my friend to learn much more about an often duplicated, but never understood, master of his craft!
To Understand Bill Tracey is to understand his work.
Lets take a close look at his creations ...
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Tracey Props, "Spook-A-Rama" Coney Island N.Y. |
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Rare Tracey Prop, "Cannibal & Pot" Wildwood N.J |
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A nice look circa 1985 at Trimper's rides, Ocean City Maryland and Tracey's Pirate's Cove. Note how the facade has changed, or hasn't changed over the years! While the Pirate's on top of the facade has needed much maintenance over the years, both of the Tracey built Pirates Coves still stand tall and proud.
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Kennywoods Vanished Ghost Ship, defunct, Kennywood Park, P.A. Yet another Tracey built Museum with all the Classic Tracey Props represented inside. The ride burned down to the ground many years ago. Take a hard look at a Tracey Favorite facade prop, the Giant Spider! Where have you seen this before?! |
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The defunct Tracey shrine, "Pirates Cove" Dorney Park, Allentown P.A. Later to be remolded by Jim Melonic. |
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What can you say about this wonderful Tracey design, at Hunts Pier, Wildwood N.J.? Yes, its gone, but many remember what a great ride this was in its small, and cramped space on the pier that it shared with the other Tracey attractions. The smallest of all "Wacky Shacks" ever installed, it is still missed badly by hard core fans. |
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Defunct Wildwood N.J. "Jungle land" Water Boat ride. A "sister" ride would have also been found at "Palisades Park", defunct New Jersey. A Classic Tracey facade! |
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The "Ghost Ship" "Skua" was an attraction built by P.T.C. of Roller Coaster fame. Tracey later re-designed several park buildings including the "Gold Nugget" , and the "Ghost Ship Skua", defunct, Hunt's Pier, Wildwood New Jersey.
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Defunct Tracey walk through, "Wacky Shack", Lake Winnie, Tenn. Strangely enough, this was a common name for Tracey's Dark Rides, and the only know walk through that used this name. Some of the props from this "Pirate's Cove" clone can still be found in the parks Tracey built Dark Ride, called "The Castle". At one time, Tracey also had called this walk-thru "Mystery Mansion" and had used this name at other parks. |
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Rare view of defunct Tracey walk through, "Boot Hill" of the vanished "West View" amusement Park, P.A. Check out the "Steer Head" and Horns atop, a common prop of Tracey's as well as Pretzel's "Lost Mine" Dark Rides. Who came up with this concept you may ask? Tracey, although he did lots of these facades for Pretzel as well, most famous being the defunct "Roseland Park" New York, "Lost Mine". Another version made its way down to New Mexico and, sadly, burned down to the ground. |
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How many of us remember walking thru this Tracey design at Dorney Park, Allentown P.A.? "Alfundo" as it was called greeted many a fan of Tracey for several years, but was removed a while ago as the park expanded and became more modern. The spirit of "Alfundo" lives on as does the Journey to The Center of The Earth and the Wacky Shack, all defunct at Dorney. |
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Here we are at Waldameer Park, near Erie P.A. for a nice look at both Tracey creations here. "Pirates Cove" at the back, and Tracey's "Whacky Shack" at the front. Strangely enough, both Tracey as well as Bill Cassidy and Pretzel Rides had bid against each other to build the new Dark Ride in the 1970's. Tracey won out, and instead of a Howard Hewlitt "Haunted House", we got Tracey's ride "Whacky Shack" to replace the old Pretzel "Fun In The Dark". |
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All About the legendary Bill Tracey...
