A multi-year Tracy curiosity was solved after a conversation I had with a gentleman named Manfred Bass over a decade ago. Manfred was chief designer and senior director of Macy’s Parades from 1963 through 2000, but he was also one of Tracy’s lead artists, sculptors, and illustrators in the early 60s. In fact, he was the brains behind many stunts at Trimper’s Haunted House in Ocean City, MD and Haunted House at Westview Park, Pittsburgh, PA.
During our conversation, Mr. Bass was able to confirm that the man and woman pictured in the Peek-A-Boo stunt in Tracy’s 1962 “We WORK in the DARK” catalog are Robert Davidoski, a gifted builder and painter who worked for Tracy in the early to mid 1960s, and Tracy’s secretary, Cornelia Couch. Bill Tracy was very close with Cornelia as she handled his finances and often gave him opinions and consultation regarding different aspects of the business. Mr. Davidoski passed away in April of 2023, and I believe Ms. Couch passed away in 2005. Sadly, Mr. Bass passed away in October of 2017, but his mark on Tracy’s work will never be forgotten.
The Bill Tracy Project 