Eugenius Birch Invents the Seaside Amusement Pier

This video is part of a series of Hall of Fame featurettes I produced for IAAPA (the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions).  Meet, Eugenius Birch, the visionary architect who invented the concept of the seaside amusement pier in 1853.  Prior to that, piers were temporary structures meant only for boarding ships, and had to be rebuilt every few years.  Eugenius, oh, you genius!