Brilliant Luna Park at Night

Photographs of the fanciful nighttime illuminations at Luna Park, one of the two major early twentieth century amusement parks on on Coney Island, shortly after it opened in 1903. 

Library of Congress

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New York Public Library

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Library of Congress

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Magic Splendour of Electric Blaze

A variety of terrific sterographs depicting the illuminations at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, published bey several different stereo companies. Like the buildings created for the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, the St. Louis Fair's buildings were not designed to last more than a year or two. All but one of these buildings were demolished shortly after the event ended.

By the way, if you can free-view (look at stereos the right way to get the 3-D effect without a viewer) or would like to try (it's like magic eye)-- these really are just incredible in stereo. 

Library of Congress

The Festival Hall. Source

Library of Congress

Another view of the Festival Hall. Source

Library of Congress

Palaces of Electricity and Machinery. Source

The Colours of Nighttime New York

The bright lights of New York City, as seen by LIFE photographer Andreas Feininger. Though they didn't come with a date, the movie marquees in some of the shots reveal it's 1945. I haven't determined if any of these ran in LIFE, but Feininger is known for the photographs of New York he took for the magazine (many of these, for instance). 

Andreas Feininger, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Andreas Feininger, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Andreas Feininger, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Illuminations

Dramatic photographs of searchlit skies. 

A Douglas Dakota of the British Overseas Airways Corporation at Gibraltar, silhouetted by searchlights on the Rock, 1940-45. Source

Searchlights on the Rock at Gibraltar, 1942. Source

An Avro Lancaster on the runway before taking off for an air raid, with searchlights indicating the height of the cloud base, 1943. Source

Regards to Broadway

Out and about on Broadway, NYC, 1944. Photographs by Peter Stackpole. 

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A billboard that blows smoke rings. Source

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London by Moonlight

A stroll around London on a brightly moonlight night in 1940. Beautiful and somewhat eerie. 

Piccadilly Circus (if you are familiar with the place, note the sandbagged, boarded and postered statue of Eros). Source

The Tower Bridge. Source

And another view. Source

Trafalgar Square with the Nelson Monument, adorned with wartime posters. Source

The Houses of Parliament. Source

A blacked out Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery to the left and the church St Martin's in the Field centre. Source

Celebrate!

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Fireworks to celebrate!!!

A crowd watching fireworks, USA, 1949. Source

Fireworks in celebration of the wedding of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, Monaco, 1956. Source

Fireworks shooting into the sky in Monaco at the Jubilee celebration, 1947. Source

Jubilee celebration in Monaco, 1947. Source

Fireworks at the first Tailteann Games in Ireland, 1924. Source

Fireworks over Heidelberg Castle, Germany, 1961. Source

Fireworks during a festival in Valencia, Spain, 1967. Source

Fireworks for the jubilee of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, 1948. Source

Fireworks during a fiesta in Pamplona, Spain, 1947. Source

Fireworks in Philadelphia, 1957. Source

Fireworks in honour of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's arrival in Portugal, 1957. Source

Fireworks in Barcelona, 1952. Source

Fireworks over the French Riveria, 1938. Source

Fireworks in Paris for Bastille Day, 1959. Source

Fireworks in Paris, 1951. Source

More fireworks in Paris, 1951. Source

People watching fireworks in celebration of independence, Ghana, 1957. Source

Fireworks over Atlantic city for the birthday of president Lyndon Johnson (including firework portrait of him!), 1964. Source

Senator Estes Kefauver with fireworks in Idaho, 1952. Source

Fireworks for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, London, 1953. Source

Fireworks over Paris for Bastille day, 1968. Source