{"value"=>"<p>The Amusement Control Committee (ACC), chaired first by Jay Downer, then by H.M. (Howard Melvin) Lammers, guided the development of Amusement Zone concessions. In the fall of 1939, the ACC was renamed the Amusements Department, with George P. Smith and Frank Shean appointed co-directors. The department considered proposals, negotiated terms, and regulated and managed all rides, games, shows, attractions and villages in the Amusement Zone. Files cover central departmental activities, including the establishment and oversight of policies, procedures and regulations and the vetting of prospective concessionaires. Among other issues, these records reflect an array of contemporary social and political attitudes about sexuality, race, culture and leisure. Letters from the public complain of high prices, noise, false-advertising and the mistreatment of animals, with vehement protests against a proposed \"bull-dodging\" show. Morality and Nudity Issues files highlight the extensive and spirited public controversy over what some perceived as a preponderance of burlesque and adult entertainment attractions on the Fairway. Correspondence, memoranda, reports and clippings detail the outcry and the Fair's response, which included a commitment to more strictly regulate the area during the 1940 season. Proposals for attractions include those from established concerns, prominent personalities (including Norman Bel Geddes, George Jessel and Rube Goldberg) and first-time entrepreneurs. Large concessionaires included DuFour and Rogers, with six attractions, including Headless Olga and Nature's Mistakes (the Strange as it Seems file contains a piece describing the personal struggles of its \"freaks\"); and Frank Buck's Jungleland (including a news article about a shipment of Buck's animals perishing in a storm at sea). Games, Rides, Shows, and Attractions and Villages files detail the regulation and operation of concessions, often including blueprints, designs and promotional material.</p>"}