The Wall of Death has been around since the early 1900's, almost as old as Harley Davidson. No one knows who actually invented either show but evidence suggest that the wall existed in the United States of America in the early 1900s with reports having been made of bicycles being used as early as 1908. There is even a suggestion made before 1900 of using bicycles on a type of Wall of Death, not for entertainment but for exercise! The earliest reference of the Wall of Death is the United States in 1928, it having arrived from the United States via Europe. I've always been attracted by the sound, the odor and the old Indian or HD scoots the performers used inside this infernal cylinder. Today, few heroes still making the show. Also see, the Globe of Death used by the Varanne brothers.
via: New Cafe Society/Deadlicious