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Why were babies in incubators put on display at Coney Island?

At Coney Island amusement park between 1903 and 1943 there was an extraordinary exhibit: tiny, premature babies. 'Dr. Martin Couney's infant incubator' facility was staffed by nurses in starched white uniforms and if you paid a quarter, you could see the babies in their incubators. Journalist Claire Prentice has been following the story and has tracked down some of those babies, now in their 70s, 80s and 90s, who were put on show.

First broadcast on Life Under Glass, 24 May 2016.

Release date:

Duration:

6 minutes

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