First of all, my heart goes out to the millions of people affected by Hurricane Sandy. Watching the news from the warmth of my Massachusetts home makes me grateful to have been spared the worst and heart-broken for those who weren’t. I am a New Yorker by birth and by heart, and lived there most of these 81 years. It was only love that brought me north where I’m happily ensconced with my wife of 25 years. We met when she lived in New York, though she isn’t a native and life opportunities called her elsewhere. I followed.
While the storm devastated a large portion of the Northeast, I am personally drawn to the dire situation in Coney Island and am making my appeal for others to help out. (Please see links below) This article from The Huffington Post entitled “After the Hurricane, Coney Island’s future hangs in the balance” shares some eye-witness accounts from two of Coney Island’s contemporary champions, Dick Zigun and Charles Denson. Dick co-founded Coney Island U.S.A. in 1980 and has been a primary defender and innovator of the place ever since. I like his statement of purpose on his website, which speaks of defending the honor of American popular culture. Here here! Charles founded The Coney Island History Project dedicated to increasing awareness of Coney Island’s legendary past and encourage an appreciation of the Coney Island neighborhood today. Hats off to both of these guys and their cadre of loyal supporters for embodying the spirit of a place that has long been the heart and soul of New York City – and beyond.
I was born in Coney Island – literally and figuratively. On April 17, 1931 my mother lay in Coney Island Hospital exhausted from my arrival not far from our family’s home on Coney Island. I can’t remember the exact location of our early home, since we moved up to Bensonhurst when I was about six or seven where we lived at 18th Ave. and 78th Street for much of my boyhood. But it was just a short trolley from Coney Island. With 25 cents in my pocket in the morning I would head to Coney. Having spent all my money on hot dogs, candy and rides, I would draw pictures on the boardwalk for the fare home, but generally just hitched a ride on the back bumper of the trolley since whatever I earned generally went toward one more ride.
I took my very first photographs at Coney Island. It was 1946 and I was 15. I borrowed my upstairs neighbors Rollieflex and headed straight for the Cyclone. After too many days of borrowing, my neighbor billed me $5 a day for the rental of his camera!
When I say I was also born on Coney Island figuratively, it’s because my birth as an artist and photographer was nurtured within its womb. My outlook on life, which most would say is optimistic and appreciative, was forged in the crucible of Coney Island, which is why I have always called my six decades of Coney photographs A Coney Island of the Heart.
It’s not only a place; it’s a state of mind — a crucial piece of New York City’s psyche — and the nation’s. It’s about equality and the common pursuit of pleasure no matter what class or culture you’re from. It’s about the embrace of the bizarre and the ordinary and the freedom to have uninhibited fun with throngs of others who are all there for the same reason. There is simply no other place like it in the world and it needs to be preserved and restored for future generations.
Come what may, Coney Island has and always will rise from the ashes. As Charles Denson says in the article,
Coney Island has been destroyed many times. It’s burned to the ground, it’s been destroyed by urban renewal, it’s had fire storms, and it will survive this.
Please contribute what you can to the people and the place by donating time, money or other resources through these or other organizations.
Here is a small visual tribute from my Coney Island of the Heart portfolio to the people who have reflected its indomitable spirit then and now! How about a fundraising auction? I’ll gladly donate!
16 comments
Burt Finger
Harold,
nice story…I also grew up in New York..Moved to Sheepshead Bay when I was seven..Coney Island was a big part of my growing up… One year I won the Nathans fishing contest on the Pier.. Lots of fun. For the last seventeen years I have been gallery director of Photographs Do Not Bend (PDNB) Gallery in Dallas Texas.. I know and respect your work. I love N.Y. photographs ..We represent the estate of John Albok.. you might remember him from years ago..
Thanks for your comments on Coney Island.. Look forward to meeting you one day…
BesT Wishes,
Burt
Harold Feinstein
Burt: Thanks for this response — and congrats on winning the Nathan’s fishing contest! Legendary! Your gallery looks great. Let’s be in touch. Glad to hear from more members of the loyal Coney Island diaspora club. The place needs us now. Best wishes
Shelly Watson
In the last photo the gentleman on the rail is listed as Dick Zignun. It is actually The Great Fredini!
Harold Feinstein
Thank you! Mystery solved!
Barbara Bullock-Wilson
Thank you, Harold, for sharing some of your history, along with that of Coney Island. While you were enjoying the pleasures of that special place on the east coast, I was enjoying the Santa Cruz Boardwalk on the west coast. Every year, the Bullock family drove north from the Monterey Peninsula to the other end of Monterey Bay to spend their summer vacation. I loved the Boardwalk and I spent all my year’s allowance playing Skee Roll, driving bumper cars, roaming the Arcade, lingering for hours in the Fun House, and riding the beautiful historic Merry-Go-Round. I became so good at Skee Roll that I won many great prizes, including the flatware and carving set I still use today. Your words capture so well the magic of such places and your images bring up wonderful memories – even though they are rooted in California sand!
Harold Feinstein
Barbara: Us East-coasters call it Skee Ball! And, I used to play it at Coney Island too! In fact, I was pretty darn good. Perhaps we should go at it next time we see each other! Thanks for sharing your reflections about the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. We were definitely on the same track as children. As you know, whenever Judith asks me, “When are you going to grow up?” The answer is…never! Keeping the child alive has allowed me to make it to 81! Sending my best to you!
fred kahl
Hi, that’s me- Fred Kahl, AKA The Great Fredini on the rail in the last photo, next to snake charmer Demonika. We both worked for Dick Zigun at the time- circa 1994?
Harold Feinstein
Thanks Fred! Took that photo in 1990 I think. One of my favorites!
Margaret Waage
Lovely post and great resources – thank you. I hope you don’t mind my retweeting and spreading the word.
Harold Feinstein
Thanks Margaret: Please share far and wide. Just got this email below also from the InterOccupy group. Their website has more:
CHARLES Rotmil
great story….and I am so glad you are showing your great photos, they are truly remarkable. I am honored you were once my teache and my lifetime mentor…thanks so much. charles
Harold Feinstein
Thanks Charles! The feelings are mutual!
paula weiner
Harold, thank you for being there for Coney Island and for passing along those wonderful links. It tears me apart seeing the destruction of a city I hold dear (spent many years in Brighton Beach) before moving to the city proper.
I love your idea of an auction to benefit CI. I can donate a silkscreen or lithograph of my mothers if this comes about (she was in Who’s Who in American art four times).
Please keep me in the loop about that. I ache from the devastation, but of course, that is just an ache, which will ease up in time. To have no home, not enough or any food and no means to get any, that is obviously worse.
Thank you again.
Paula
John Rossi
Hi Harold,
I emailed Judith earlier, what a beautiful blog. As I continue to talk to my newly re-elected congressman about things we up here can do to help down there, I will be using some of the language from your blog. Let’s hope we can get this mess cleaned up and the damage repaired more quickly than we’ve handled Katrina.
Thanks for doing this and supplying the links.
Harold Feinstein
John: Thanks for your comments. Your work is so important and so needed to provide quick, easy and efficient shelter to those who have lost their homes. To others who might be reading this, check out: wwww.visible-good.com to see John’s work.
Harold Feinstein Photographer - Book party and benefit poster sale at Aperture Gallery in New York
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