Coney Island: Lost and Found

by Charles Denson

Growing up on Coney Island in the '50s and '60s, Charles Denson experienced legendary amusements and attractions like the Cyclone and Thunderbolt roller coasters, the Parachute Jump, and Steeplechase Park. In CONEY ISLAND: LOST AND FOUND, Denson gives us an insider's look at one of New York's best-known neighborhoods, weaving together memories of his childhood adventures with colorful stories of the area's past and interviews with local personalities, all brought to life by hundreds of photographs, detailed maps, and authentic memorabilia. CONEY ISLAND is a heartfelt chronicle that stretches from colonial times to the island's heyday in the early 20th century and through its subsequent decline and revival, culminating in the 2001 opening of the new ballpark that brought baseball back to Brooklyn. Features 300 color and black-and-white photographs, including many never-before-published images. Detailed hand-drawn maps trace a century of amusement park history. Includes posters, programs, and tickets from past and present.

"Evocative."-Newark Star-Ledger

Recommended in "New York Bookshelf, Nonfiction" -New York Times

"Charles Denson traces CONEY ISLAND . . . in all its glory." -Birmingham News

"[A] crisply researched and tenderly rendered love letter." - St. Petersburg Times

"Many delightful details assembled in the thoughtful and handsome" volume." -San Francisco Chronicle

"Denson's CONEY ISLAND is a well-researched, passionate account of his neighborhood's decline and rebirth is an invaluable addition . . . to American history." -New York's City Limits

Genres: History, Nonfiction, New York

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Kim Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd always wanted to visit Coney Island, and when I made my first trip a few years ago, I was a bit confused by the half-awake, half-asleep state I found it in. This book reveals a long tug-of-war history--with politicians, urban planners, developers, and others battling over Coney Island--which continues to this day.

The book lays out a detailed history of Coney Island's dramatic ups and downs, as rides (and bath houses and hotels) have gone up, then fallen victim to fires or razing, then been replaced by something new. The book contains hundreds of historic photographs of legendary rides and spectacular buildings that are now gone forever, including many photos taken by the author, who grew up on Coney Island with a camera in his hand.

Denson introduces us to the many characters who shaped and reshaped Coney Island--from the families who have run the various amusements, to unscrupulous developers like Fred Trump (yes, that Trump's dear old Dad), to politicians. He also shares stories from his childhood, offering an insider's view of a place that has been in almost constant turmoil.

I would love to have heard some personal stories from people who had visited Coney Island over the decades, to hear what it felt like to visit Astroland its peak, for example, or to go on a date to Coney in 1950s. But that's another book, I suppose.

All in all, a comprehensive history of a fascinating place that seems destined to be in flux.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I would enjoy this book so much, but it was really great! Charles Denson included so much history that's hard to find elsewhere, it fills in a lot of gaps that other books don't cover. Although there is some previous history, most of the book covers the time of his childhood in the 1950s to the present day. It was a wonderful place in his childhood, but already declining in popularity due to changing demographics in NY with the flight to suburbia. Public housing projects turned out to mostly be a disaster, except for some early cases. Coney Island is now on a rebound and he describes that process and the people who played major roles in the various amusements and businesses there. After reading this book, I feel like I'm connected to this fascinating place with a strong sense of nostagia, even though I have only visited a few times. All the photos the author took over his lifetime and the purely memoir sections both enhanced the whole reading experience.

[Lisa-Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you can see, I became fascinated with the history of Coney Island after that museum book. Denson does an amazing job of thoroughly, and I mean thoroughly, documenting his subject. He grew up on Coney and took photographs his whole life. Plus, he has all the old photographs. And he has interviewed everyone. “I wanted to answer a common question: how was a remote sandbar transformed into the most famous resort in the world, then allowed to deteriorate into one of New York City’s worst neighborhoods?” It is a good question, but he answers much more in 300 pages. Plus, he is in love with the place, so you feel his intensity. The photos alone are worth the journey. What I like is the concept of a place capturing the popular imagination so completely that it exists on several levels simultaneously.

[Catherine Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my mom which made me a little skeptical going into reading it. usually she is into those very heavy historical content type books howver, i enjoyed this book. it gives alot of insight to life in the 1920s, like with transportation and things in New York City changing. its crazy to thinik of life today and Coney Island compared to back then, how the kind of place it is (the level of class has changed). back then it was considered alot more classy and presigious and now very casual and not hard to find people looking like beach bums in their weekend clothes and bathing suits. good book to learn about the past and appreciate what we have now and the differences between the two.

[Jonathan K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for the library project aand it did not interest me at all. Its takes a really long time to pernounce some of the words. I dont reccomened this to anyone. It is just a waste of time and plus its non fiction and im not a big fan of that.

[Elizabeth Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little personal, but fantastic photography...this guy had the foresight to document everything before it began to vanish...

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good in-depth retrospective.

[Victoria Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspires me to go to Coney Island tomorrow!

[Glenn Herdling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reference that captures the joy of old Coney.