The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: Dawn Raffel and Laurie Gwen Shapiro

The mysterious man behind a carnival sideshow that revolutionized neonatal care. 

Drawing on historical documents, original reportage, and interviews with surviving patients, The Strange Case of Dr. Couney tells the marvelously bizarre story of a carnival man with a larger-than-life personality. Using incubators and careful nursing to keep premature infants alive, he displayed them alongside sword swallowers, bearded ladies, and burlesque shows at Coney Island, Atlantic City, and fairs across the country. Ignoring the scorn of the medical establishment and the rising popularity of eugenics, Couney saved some seven thousand babies. The story is a kaleidoscopic ride through ebullient entrepreneurship, enlightened pediatric care, and carnival culture at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Author Dawn Raffel will be joined in conversation by Laurie Gwen Shapiro, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, journalist and the author of The Stowaway. 

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED

Registration does not guarantee admission. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A stand by line will form thirty minutes before the program.

The Program Room opens at 6 PM.

ASL interpretation and real-time (CART) captioning available upon request. Please submit your request at least two weeks in advance by emailing accessibility@nypl.org.