.
As a kid growing up in Brooklyn, Coney Island was a place of wonder. Alluring yet a little scary, it seemed to exist
outside of normal life. It was a dazzle of exotic sights, sounds and tastes. In my teens I went with friends to scream
on the Cyclone, to swing high above the ground on the Wonder Wheel, to wolf down Nathan's delicious franks,
fries and clams.
When I became serious about photography in the late 1970s, Coney Island became the subject for my first long-term
project. Now, on top of the amusement park theatrics, I was touched by Coney's air of faded glory, amused by its
visual ironies, and heartened at the persistence of its unique brand of popular culture, carrying on stubbornly in the
face of poverty and neglect. This was no Disneyland: no slick, sanitized, carefully packaged corporate resort. I loved
Coney Island for its pluck, for its funk. In the 1980s I became part of the Coney Island Hysterical Society, a
pioneering troupe of visual artists who created art in, for and about Coney Island.
Like New York City itself, Coney Island has multiple layers of history and character. Like the City, its tawdriness is
part of its richness and charm. But today powerful real estate interests and the politicians who serve them are
gradually hollowing out New York, and those same forces now threaten Coney Island. America's beloved, iconic
amusement beach is under attack by forces that would destroy it in order to "save" it. I truly hope that whatever
happens on that stretch of shore, Coney Island will survive; that its spirit will live on for future generations of New
Yorkers and the world.
Coney Island
by Hazel Hankin
Kiddie park seen from the landmark ferris wheel, The Wonder Wheel.
Coney Island midway during a rainstorm in 1977.
The B&B Carousel dates from 1919. NYC bought the historic ride in 2005 and the horses and other parts have
been removed for restoration. It is expected to return to Coney Island in 2013.
No leaning - game concession 1977.
Salsa dancing on the beach, Coney Island, 1977.
Portrait, ride operator, 1977
Portrait, Bust-'Em Balloons, 1977.
Shooting Gallery, 1977.
Sister Helen - fortuneteller storefront, 1977.
Popeye - B&B Carousell, 1977
Portrait, Toilet Seat Game worker, 1977.
Portrait, Dragon's Cave spook ride worker, 1985
The Tornado rollercoaster, ticket booth, 1977.
The Cyclone roller coaster, c. 1986.
Portrait, Show Your Strength concession, 1977.
Food concession on the boardwalk, 1977.
Punching bag game, Coney Island, 1983.
Polar Express disco ride, 1985.
The Tunderbolt rollercoaster, 1977. The Thunderbolt was in operation from 1925 until 1983. It was demolished by
New York City in 2000.
Nathan's worker on a break, Coney Island, 1977.
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