Wall of death, 1949 (photo)

Wall of death 1949. The wall of death, motordrome, velodrome or well of death is a carnival sideshow featuring a silo- or barrel-shaped wooden cylinder, typically ranging from 20 to 36 feet (6.1 to 11.0 m) in diameter and made of wooden planks, inside which motorcyclists travel along the vertical wall and perform stunts, held in place by friction and centrifugal force. The original wall of death was in 1911 on Coney Island in the United States. Pictured a motorcyclist in high speed in the velodrome, showing off, with his hands in the air, not on the handlebars as he should. Sweden 1949.