Works Cited
Cellania, Miss. “Coney Island Freaks of Yesterday and Today.” Mental Floss. N.p., 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 21 May 2017.
Cellania writes about Coney Island’s freak shows as well as midget city that was made by Samuel Gumpertz. This source brings images and descriptions of many of the freaks that performed in the sideshows and where they came from.
“Coney Island – Development of Rail & Steamboat Lines to the Resort.” Coney Island History -Development of Rail and Steamboat Lines to the Resort. Jeffrey Stanton, 1998. Web. 21 May 2017.
The development of Coney Island’s transportation came hand in hand with the progression of Coney’s tourist facilities. As more hotels and restaurants were built, owners constructed railroads and steamships to usher in the customers. The article discussed the progression of transportation from 1829 until 1998 when it was published. An interesting point was made that until the 1920’s there was no transportation from east to west and so tourists had to take the correct line to the specific area they wanted to reach.
“Coney Island – Nickel Empire (1920’s-1930’s).” Jeffrey Stanton, Westland Network, 1997. Web. 03 May 2017.
The transformation of Coney Island through the 20’s and 30’s is outlined with an emphasis on the nickel making entertainment accessible to the masses. The ability to access Coney Island via the five cent subway and the beach newly opened to the public brought in a new population of poor recreation seekers in contrast to the prior rich and middle class that had once populated the area in the 19th century. The influx of the lower class eventually led to the lowering of prices from food to games thus launching “The Nickel Empire.”
“Coney Island Remembered.” YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v>.
This video is a documentary of the history of Coney Island. It focusses on how Coney Island’s entertainment was something that people were drawn to. There were freak shows with elephants, contortionists as well as various other shows and rides. Coney Island was a dreamland. It also discusses how Coney Island has undergone extreme construction and how so many alterations have been made to this rich historical site.
“History.” Luna Park in Coney Island. Central Amusement International LLC, 2014. Web. 12 May 2017.
This website not only provides extra historical context and background, but also serves as a modern day information center. I discovered that attractions such as the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone became official landmarks. In fact, the Cyclone will be 90 this year! There are a wide range of attractions other than rides such as the Mermaid Parade and modern-day Freak Shows which consist of sword-eating and flame-breathing performers.
Berger, Joseph. “Coney Island, Renewed but Recognizable.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 July 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.
Berger discusses the new renovations being done to Coney Island in recent years since opening day. The city wants to give it a cleaner look and refurbish all of the shops running along the Boardwalk, in addition to the Boardwalk itself. They want to upscale the look from grime to glitz. The locals are upset with this because this 85 year old Boardwalk is historical and it is so meaningful to them. They argue that this is the sole purpose of Coney Island; it is not Disneyland! It is not supposed to be polished or up-to-date. However, the motives for this refurbishment should be understood as well: they want to make the park and Boardwalk a safer, more family-friendly place. That includes the exclusion of profane images or clothing, which upsets regulars as well.
Kasson, John F. Amusing the Million : Coney Island at the Turn of the Century. New York: Hill & Wang, 1978. Print. American Century Ser.
Kasson covers the dynamic history of Coney Island in his book Amusing the Million. He points out that Coney Island is a reflection of the larger in culture in its disparity between the upper class seeking exclusion and the lower class profane “gamier amusement” such as prostitution and other crimes. Kasson write of the rise of several hotels such as the famous Elephant Hotel in 1882 when “seeing the elephant” became a euphemism for illicit pleasures . Owners built railroads to bring visitors to their hotels. For example: Andrew R. Culver built the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad bringing people to his hotels and restaurants for 35 cents. Investors and entrepreneurs tried to redeem Coney Island from its profanity but soon learned that decency does not sell as well as profanity. Kasson also mentioned the 1895 nickel trolley and the coming of the nickel subway to Coney Island in 1920.
Prakash, Alisha. “Coney Island Once Had an Elephant-Shaped Brothel… Plus 10 Other Ridiculous Facts About the ‘Hood.” Thrillist. Thrillist, 15 June 2016. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.
This source has some very interesting facts about Coney Island, including the price of a Nathan’s hotdog back in the day, as well as a couple of “firsts” that were brought to the world by Coney Island itself.
Sally, Lynn. “Fantasy Lands and Kinesthetic Thrills: Sensorial Consumption, the Shock of Modernity and Spectacle as Total-Body Experience at Coney Island.” The Senses and Society 1.3 (2006): 293-309. Web.
Lynn Sally analyzes the development and the role that Coney Island has played in the full body experience of sensory overload. Sally connects analysis to a fictional character in order to provide a visual for the reader to understand the pleasures experienced in a day at Coney Island. At the turn of the twentieth century, Coney Island was well known for its dreamlike thrillers. Located on the sea, Coney Island served as a resort, attracting thrill seekers and city folk looking to escape the nearby metropolis. The West End of Coney Island became infamous and often critiqued for the behaviors of pleasure seekers in this area. Sally attributes this to the intensification of sensory pleasures that strayed from the norm of that time. She then analyzes the role of the three parks and distinguishes between their supposed ideological objectives. Sally emphasizes that the Coney Island experience is multi-sensory, from listening to crashing waves, seeing the lights and whimsical environment, feeling the warm sun, tasting the boardwalk treats, and the excitement from mechanical rides leading to butterflies in your stomach.
Salazar, Cristian. “Secrets of Coney Island: ‘It’s More than Amusements’.” Am New York. N.p., 11 Apr. 2017. Web. 21 May 2017.
This source provides interesting facts about Coney Island that aren’t so well known to the public. The information ranges from discussing the origin of Nathan’s hotdogs to the birth of frozen custard.
Stanton, Jeffrey . “Coney Island – Freaks & Shows.” Coney Island – Freaks & Freak Shows. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.
This source gives a well detailed history of the rise of Coney Island’s freak shows. It discusses PT Barnum and his devious ways which led to the awakening of public curiosity. This source allows a better
Stein, Harvey. Coney Island. 1st ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 1998. Print.
Stein compiled many images portraying different aspects of coney island, such as the mermaid parade, workers, and beach bums. The timeline is most useful in composing an outline of the progression of Coney Island through the years and understanding the rise and fall of the three main parks.
Sullivan, David A. “The Comprehensive History of Coney Island.” Heart of Coney Island. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 May 2017.
Sullivan presented a beautifully organized array of articles depicting precisely what had occurred during which time period and how each park came to being. Sullivan also provides an array of images which further help with context. He explains that Sea Lion Park is often forgotten because it predated accessible cameras and the postcard craze of the early 1900s, which also explains his own lack of images for the park.
