Realistically modeled prowling composition figure with striped mohair fur, articulated head and tail, original electric motor, piercing green glass eyes, wide-open mouth, papier-mâché teeth and claws, on painted plinth base, ht. 36 in. (92 cm) x lg. approx. 90 cm (228 cm) from nose to tip of tail, good working condition, some wear and losses to fur. – The tiger moves his head in a realistic circular motion as his tail swishes back and forth. – According to oral history, this automaton was one of a pair of circus animals (the other a lion) that guarded the entrance to an attraction on Coney Island, America's largest amusement park. At its height from the 1880s to World War II, the park attracted several million visitors annually to a mix of arcades, sideshows such as the Lilliputian Village and rides, including the first modern roller coaster, the Gravity Switchback Railway of 1884. – Coney Island originally contained three separate amusement parks: Luna Park (dubbed the "Electric Eden" for its over 250,000 lights), Dreamland and Steeplechase Park. Steeplechase was the last of the original parks to close. In 1964 property magnate Fred Trump (the father of Donald Trump) acquired the land but was unable to redevelop the area as luxury apartments despite a decade of legal battles! – A large and life-like automaton.