'Miracle at Coney Island: Martin Couney and the Infant Incubators' Webinar

Can't make it live? Register and get access to the full replay for one week! New York Adventure Club | www.AdventureClub.com

How did an untrained outsider working on the fringes of American medicine come to save the lives of thousands of babies?

In the early 1900s, Coney Island, Brooklyn was the world's premier amusement zone, attracting huge crowds with its spectacular rides and marvelous entertainments. But it was also home to an extraordinary medical marvel, where, for 25 cents, visitors could watch as tiny premature babies fought for their lives. How did this sideshow become one of Coney Island's longest-running attractions, and, more importantly, save thousands of babies using cutting-edge technology? It's time to uncover one of the most incredible stories in American medical history.

Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the life and fascinating legacy of Martin Couney. Both a sideshow impresario and medical pioneer, Couney worked tirelessly for half a century to save thousands of premature babies — remarkable at a time when hospitals and the mainstream medical community regarded preemies as "weaklings" who could not thrive and should not be helped to survive.

Led by historian and writer Claire Prentice — the best-selling author of Miracle at Coney Island and presenter of the BBC and NPR radio documentary Life Under Glass — our unique virtual experience of this fascinating sideshow exhibit will include:

• Rare photos of Martin Couney, the "incubator doctor," and his Coney Island infant incubator exhibit throughout its multi-decade run
• A description of the technology used by Couney and why American doctors were reluctant to use infant incubators
• A discussion of what visitors to the exhibit saw and why Couney’s attraction captured the public imagination
• Insight into Couney’s progressive approach and his policy of taking in babies of all races and socio-economic backgrounds
• Real life stories of some of the babies whose lives were saved by Couney and his staff
• Accounts of Prentice’s meetings with some of these former “incubator babies,” now men and women in the 70s, 80s and 90s
• An overview of some of the other incubator exhibits Couney set up across the country, which featured a highly-trained staff and cutting-edge technology (all funded from his re-invested profits)

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Claire — any and all questions are welcomed and encouraged!

Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually!

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***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

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About Claire

Claire Prentice has presented radio documentaries for the BBC and NPR, and is the bestselling author of Doctor Ice Pick, Miracle at Coney Island and The Lost Tribe of Coney Island. Her new work, Curse of Riches, tells the epic true story of the Wendels, Gilded Age New York’s most dysfunctional family, who are the subject of an upcoming NYAC event.

Claire’s work uncovers hidden histories and the compelling, flawed characters at the center of them. She was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and has lived in New York, Boston, Charlottesville, Washington D.C, and Madrid, Spain.

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Categories: Virtual, Moments in History