Gumpertz began his career at Coney Island's Dreamland in 1904, the year it opened, with a smash hit: a miniature village populated by very small people. Lilliputia, also known as Midget City ...

As a result, a temporary society was created in which people felt free not only to act out their impulses but to be seen doing so. In this, Coney Island served an essentially dramatic purpose.