When Walker Evans photographed Coney Island during the height of its popularity at the end of the 1920s, it featured three amusement parks and numerous sideshow attractions, penny arcades, and game booths to entice and entertain visitors. Evans's choice of a close-up view of this growling winged monster at the park animates the creature, bringing its fabricated ferocity to life. The figure adorned the entrance to a thrill ride as a visual warning of the presumed terror within.