Coney Island and Gravesend - Center for Brooklyn History

This section traces the development of Coney Island, but focuses on the development of the neighboring Gravesend region. Gravesend was one of the six original towns of Kings County. Founded by religious dissenter Lady Deborah Moody and her followers in 1643, it was the only one of the original towns to be founded by English settlers. Gravesend was annexed by the City of Brooklyn in 1894. These collections of textual-based materials require an appointment to be viewed within the library.

Martin Shoonmaker Account book, 1873-1883
Call number: 1973.187
0.25 linear feet.
Account book of Martin Schoonmaker from 1872-1883 with attachments from 1873-1878. Includes family farm and rental accounts, with information on landowners of Gravesend, Ocean Parkway, Parkville, and Coney Island Properties.

Terhune & Wyckoff Families Papers, 1747-1932
Call number: ARC.279
0.8 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

The Terhune and Wyckoff families papers (1747-1932) include documents of two prominent families, affiliated through marriage, from Gravesend in Kings County, New York (part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn after 1898). John Terhune (1767-1842) played a significant role in the early development of Coney Island as a resort location, and the collection includes some documents on that subject and on a dispute over whether to incorporate the town of Gravesend.

Gravesend History Collection, 1686-1891
Call number: 1978.046
0.4 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

The Gravesend history collection contains a charter for Gravesend, signed by Governor Dongan; a land deed and title searches for property in Gravesend; genealogies of prominent families; and a manuscript copy of William H. Stillwell’s Annals of the Town of Gravesend.

American Indians and English Settlers Gravesend Deed, 1665, 1909
Call number: 1977.594
0.01 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Photocopy of a typescript deed documenting the sale of land in the present-day Brooklyn neighborhood of Gravesend by the American Indian inhabitants of the region to incoming English settlers. The land is referred to in the deed by its English name (Gravesend), as well as its Indian names, Narrumsum and Pootapeck. The typescript, created in 1909, is a transcription of the original manuscript deed recorded in 1665.

Town of Gravesend Record Transcriptions, 1646-1670
Call number: 1977.308
3.0 items, in 3 folders.
Link to finding aid.

Transcriptions of early town records of Gravesend, dated 1646 to 1670, and a 100-page historical sketch of Gravesend. The transcribed records and the historical sketch were prepared by Works Progress Administration researchers of the Historical Records Survey, Service Division, New York, NY, in March of 1942. The transcribed records include town meeting minutes, dated 1646 to 1653, as well as property deeds and leases, dated 1653 to 1670.

Transcriptions of Dutch Legal Documents of Flatbush, Flatlands and Gravesend, circa 1965-1850
Call number: 1978.034
0.02 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

English transcriptions of Dutch legal documents concerning the towns of Flatlands, Flatbush, and Gravesend. Some appear to have been copied from official records of the Dutch government of New Amsterdam (later New York City) and to have been written by Peter Stuyvesant, the last governor to lead New Amsterdam before the colony was seized by the British in 1664. The original documents date from 1656 to 1719, while the transcriptions were created circa 1850. The repository at which the original Dutch documents are housed is not known.

Guide to the Brooklyn Bureau of Sewers Records, 1853-1988
Call number: ARC.235
53.5 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

The bulk of the collection includes documents supporting the assessments to be levied for sewer projects; the binders of this material include maps of the blocks and lots relevant to a sewer project, lists of property owners, and certifications. Coney Island and Gravesend documents can be found in the “Ocean Front” binders. Other materials in the collection include blueprints of sewer projects and designs, field books concerning special sewer structures, notes on land valuation assessments, journals of work on particular projects, materials test results, and other matter. Collection contains a map of the Coney Island sewer system.

Ferguson Family Collection of Gravesend Land Documents, 1863-1957
Call number: 1985.053
0.9 cubic feet.
Link to finding aid.

Ferguson was a businessman who lived in Gravesend, N.Y. and was a member of the Town of Gravesend Board of Trustees of the Common Lands. This committee was charged with selling underwater lots in the Coney Island area that were to be reclaimed in the 1880s and 1890s. Included are several maps of the Gravesend and Coney Island areas of Brooklyn.

Saretta G. Hicks Research Files, 1963-1965
Call number: ARC.276
1.46 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Collection contains Hicks’ research notes and copies of original documents concerning Lady Deborah Moody (d.1659), leader of English settlers who founded town of Gravesend.  Also includes Hicks’ correspondence, 1962-1965, and travel diary to England, 1963; alphabetically filed bibliography cards; and typescript of “Dangerous Woman: A Biography of Deborah, Lady Moody of Coney Island.”

Department of Parks, City and Borough of Brooklyn records, 1856 – 1945
Call number: 1977.325
2.5 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

The Department of Parks, City and Borough of Brooklyn records span the years 1856 to 1945, and includes Coney Island park information. The collection is arranged into seven series: Correspondence; Reports; Finances; Legal; Minutes and proceedings; Maps and drawings; and Miscellaneous printed materials.

These collections of textual-based materials require an appointment to be viewed within the library.

Daniel J. Kern recollections of Brooklyn, 1908-1939
Call number: 1992.024
0.1 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Collection of essays pertaining to Brooklyn history as experiences and observed through the eyes of Kern. Kern covers topics such as Coney Island, Steeplechase and Luna Parks.

Jennie Child recollections of Park Slope, 1958-1958
Call number: 1973.129
0.08 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

This manuscript collection consists of several handwritten pages that were used as notes for a talk given by Ms. Child at the Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope in 1958. Includes Ms. Child’s personal anecdotes, including rides to Coney Island on the elevated steam train.

Brooklyn Correspondence and Miscellaneous Manuscripts, 1757-1968
Call number: 1977.321
0.35 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

This collection consists of a wide variety of correspondence and other manuscripts primarily relating to individuals and families from Brooklyn, N.Y. It also includes records from the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce and the Froebel Academy, and references to African American slaves. Items date from 1757 to 1968, with the bulk of the material dating from 1850 to 1920.

Daniel M. Tredwell Papers, 1876-1917
Call number: ARC.188
1.5 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Tredwell was a Brooklyn businessman and bibliophile who frequently wrote about Brooklyn and Long Island. Included here are two handwritten essays. The first is entitled “Kings County in Fact, Legend and Tradition.” Its primary topics are Flatbush, Flatlands, and the geography of King’s County. Includes Coney Island as a point of interest.

Seidl Society Records, 1889-1899
Call number: 1977.175
1.75 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

The Seidl Society of Brooklyn, created by Laura Langford Holloway and other affluent female patrons of music in Brooklyn, sponsored programs featuring Seidl at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brighton Beach and free concerts held at Coney Island.

This section contains collections with visual materials of multiple mediums such as stereographs, slides, cabinet cards, and glass plate negatives, photographic prints, and postcards. Digital versions of the majority of these images are available via the image database located in the library. Please refer to the Object ID provided for each collection below when searching the image database in the library.

Stereoscope Views of Brooklyn Collection, 1865-1915,
Call number: V1978.024 (Image Database Object ID V1978.24.7)
0.03 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Includes a black and white stereographic view of Coney Island, looking down the length of the Iron Pier.

Otto Dreschmeyer Brooklyn slides, 1965-1968
Call number: V1988.012 (Image Database Object ID V1988.12)
0.42 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Collection includes color slides taken by Dreschmeyer in Brooklyn, likely using a Hasselblad camera. Later images feature docks and beach scenes from Coney Island. Coney Island scenes document the boardwalk and associated attractions such as the Cyclone, Wonder Wheel, and Parachute Jump. Views of Coney Island from the ocean, as well as night views and fireworks displays are also included.

Brooklyn slide collection, 1963-1978
Call number: V1984.001 (Image Database Object ID V1984.1)
0.8 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

The color slides in this collection are duplicates of original photographs, illustrations, manuscripts, maps, museum objects, and books from the collections of the Brooklyn Historical Society and other sources. The collection is arranged by subject and includes Coney Island among the documented neighborhoods.

19th century Brooklyn cabinet card collection, circa 1890-1902
Call number: V1987.021 (Image Database Object ID V1987.21)
0.12 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

This collection is composed primarily of cabinet cards, with mounted black-and-white prints included. Contains images of Coney Island.

Arthur Weindorf glass plate negatives, circa 1901-1916
Call number: V1974.024 (Image Database Object ID V1974.24)
1.21 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

This glass plate negative collection documents the construction of the sewer system and subway tunnels of Brooklyn. Subway tunnel-related negatives mainly show models and illustrated plans. Subway stations include the Coney Island train yard.

Coney Island and railroad photographs, circa 1920s
Call number: V1987.039 (Image Database Object ID V1987.39)
0.01 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Five photographs, dated circa 1920s, showing the Luna Park amusement park in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Photographs of the former Half Moon Hotel on Coney Island, 1991-1991
Call number: V1991.074 (Image Database Object ID V1991.74)
0.08 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Detailed views of what was originally the Half Moon Hotel. Black-and-white photographic prints taken by Li-Saltzman Architects in 1991.

Raanan Geberer photographs of Brooklyn neighborhoods, 1988-1990
Call number: V1991.118 (Image Database Object ID V1991.118)
0.05 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Color photographic prints documenting various Brooklyn neighborhood, including Coney Island. All photographs are taken outdoors with the primary subjects being houses along Glenwood Road in Flatbush; street views of people on sidewalks; views taken from subway platforms; and people engaged in outdoor summertime activities. The photographer places some emphasis on documenting Jewish life in Brooklyn.

Crown Publishers photographs of Brooklyn, circa 1920-1960
Call number: V1987.011 (Image Database Object ID V1987.11)
0.16 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Black-and-white photographic prints that document Brooklyn from the period circa 1920 to 1960. Collection includes images of Coney Island.

Photographs and postcard of Villa Joe’s in Coney Island, 1922-1965
Call number: V1992.014 (Image Database Object ID V1992.14)
0.03 linear feet.
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The Photographs and postcard of Villa Joe’s in Coney Island consist of eight color photographic prints taken in 1965, three black-and-white photographic prints dating from 1922 to 1955, and one photographic postcard, circa 1932. The collection documents the history of Villa Joe’s, a family-run Italian restaurant that was located in Coney Island from 1915 to 1975.The photographs show exterior and interior views of the restaurant in 1965, an exterior view of the restaurant in 1955, and two group portraits showing the proprietors, Joseph and Fausta Palescandolo, their three children, and the restaurant staff, in 1922 and again in 1927.

Lucille Fornasieri Gold photograph collection, 1968-2008, bulk 1973-1985
Call number: 2008.013 (Image Database Object ID 2008.013)
0.25 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Documentary photographs of Coney Island.

Aerial Views of Brooklyn and Long Island photograph album, circa 1928
Call number: V1986.004 (Image Database Object ID V1986.4)
0.13 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Contains black-and-white prints of aerial views, including Coney Island. Each photograph is identified by city, town or neighborhood name.

Abbot Low Moffat collection of Brooklyn photography, circa late 19th century-early 20th century
Call number: V1980.003 (Image Database Object ID V1980.3)
1.0 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

This photography collection includes lantern slides, prints, film negatives, and glass negatives. Images depict street scenes of Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Coney Island and Gravesend.

Photographs of houses in Sea Gate, circa early 20th century
Call number: V1990.023 (Image Database Object ID V1990.23)
0.02 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

The photographs of houses in Sea Gate consist of two black-and-white photographic prints depicting two different houses located in the Sea Gate section of Coney Island in Brooklyn, circa 1900 to 1920. Both photographs were taken during the day and show exterior views of the houses, along with their surrounding landscaped lawns. One photograph displays a group of people playing croquet on the lawn outside one of the houses, circa 1900.

Edna Glyde photography collection, circa 1940-1967
Call number: V1988.001 (Image Database Object ID V1988.1)
1.04 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Photograph collection consists of color slides, negatives, contact sheets, and black-and-white prints by resident Edna Glyde, with cityscapes and images of urban conditions in Brooklyn during the mid 20th century. Included are prints and negatives of Coney Island.

Martin Fishman photography collection, 1989-2009
0.25 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

The photographs are 8″x10″ and 8.5″x11″ black and white prints of photographs taken of Coney Island over the previous two decades. Some of the photographs capture events such as the annual Mermaid Parade.

Dwight B. Demerritt Jr. collection of 19th century photographs, 1897-1898
Call number: V1986.001 (Image Database Object ID V1986.1)
0.1 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

This collection includes mounted 19th century photographs featuring views of Coney Island.

The viewbook collection contains both photographs and illustrations. The viewbooks listed below are available on the library’s image database. Please search using the Object ID number.

History of Coney Island: Lists and Photographs of Main Attractions viewbook, 1904-1904
Call number: V1986.022 (Image Database Object ID: V1986.22)
0.03 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Viewbook contains biographical information on people who shaped Coney Island, historical information, and black-and-white non-photographic prints of photographs and drawings of Coney Island. Images included in the viewbook consist of views of attractions and performers at Steeplechase Park, Luna Park, and Dreamland, as well as views of Surf Avenue. Images and descriptions documenting attractions and rides at Coney Island that were not part of the three amusement parks are also included. The original softcover of the viewbook has been recovered with a hardcover library binding and page size is 5 x 7.5. The viewbook was published in 1904. The pages of the viewbook are brittle and have separated from the binding. Digital versions of the images from the viewbook are available via the image database located in the library.

Souvenir of Coney Island, Brighton and Manhattan beaches viewbook, 1904-1904
Call number: V1986.023 (Image Database Object ID: V1986.23)
0.04 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Viewbook published by the Home Life Publishing Company in 1904. Consists of black-and-white images of Coney Island, including views of Luna Park, the boardwalk and beach at Coney Island, and Surf Avenue, among others. Digital versions of the images from the viewbook are available via the image database located in the library.

Glimpses of the New Coney Island viewbook, 1904-1904
Call number: V1986.026 (Image Database Object ID: V1986.26)
0.03 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Viewbook published by Isaac H, Blanchard Company in 1904. Contains 34 pages of images of attractions, buildings, and structures at Coney Island, group portraits of performers at Coney Island, Street Scenes of Surf Avenue, beach views, images of hotels at or near Coney Island, and views of Luna Park, Steeplechase Park, and Dreamland, among others. Digital versions of the images from the viewbook are available via the image database located in the library.

Staley’s Views of Coney Island viewbook, 1908-1908
Call number: V1986.027 (Image Database Object ID V1986.27)
0.04 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Viewbook published by Charles Francis Press in 1908 with black-and-white non-photographic prints of photographs taken by Frank W. Staley. Images in the viewbook include beach views and informal group portraits of people on beaches, views of street scenes and buildings at Coney Island, as well as views of Luna Park, Dreamland, and Steeplechase Park. Digital versions of the images from the viewbook are available via the image database located in the library.

Coney Island and Rockaway viewbook, 1880-1880
Call number: V1987.022 (Image Database Object ID V1987.22)
0.1 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Viewbook published by George Brunswick in 1880 with illustrated views of the beach and attractions at Coney Island. Images show panoramic views, as well as hotels and piers.

Artwork of Brooklyn, New York, 1896-1896
Call number: V1974.023
0.21 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Prints with scenes of Brooklyn, dated 1896, including neighborhood scenes of Coney Island.

Sheet Music, 1902-1903
“Luna Park March & Two Step” by, Chester Searles.
Call number: (M)1987.9.2
Sheet music, 1903. Image on cover of Luna Park. Includes: view of entrance, canals, “A Trip to the Moon”, and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” entertainments.

“My Little Coney Isle” by, Andrew B. Serling & Harry Von Tilzer.
Call number: (M)1987.9.4
Sheet music, 1902. With images on cover of boardwalk, singers, etc.

Brooklyn Ephemera Collection: Series 5: Entertainment, 1852-1997
Call number: ARC.272
9.18 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Box 2 of series 5 includes materials such as Coney Island Memorabilia.

Brooklyn Ephemera Collection: Series 8: Sports, 1852-1997
Call number: ARC.272
9.18 linear feet.
Link to finding aid.

Folder 3: Brighton Beach Racing Association at Brighton Beach, N.Y. August 14, 1896.
Folder 4: Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay, N.Y. June 27, 1898.
Folder 5: Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay, N.Y. July 11, 1896; date of the Realization Stakes (fragile).

Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. The Encyclopedia of New York City. Second Edition. (New Haven: Yale University Press; c2010.)
Reference ; F128.3 .E75 2010.

Brief entry on Gravesend and a lengthy one for Coney Island, covering its history up to the redevelopment efforts of the early 2000s and including period photographs.

Manbeck, John B., ed. The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn. New Haven : Yale University Press ; c1998.
Reference ; F129.B7 N44 1998

Chapters for Gravesend (three pages) and Coney Island (seven pages), with street maps showing each neighborhood’s unofficial boundaries; illustrated with photographs.

Armbruster, Eugene L. Coney Island. (New York : [s.n.], 1924.)
Main Collection ; F129.C75 A76p 1924

Booklet; recounts the island’s pre-colonial history and rise of the leisure industry.

Cudahy, Brian J. How we got to Coney Island: the development of mass transportation in Brooklyn and Kings County. (New York : Fordham University Press, 2002.)
Main Collection ; HE4491.N65 C8 2002

A history of the various forms of urban and local transportation that fueled Coney Island’s growth, from streetcars and steamboats to elevated railways and today’s subway. Includes appendices listing the makes and models of rail cars used on Coney Island lines, and rail and ferry schedules circa 1880. Index.

Denson, Charles. Coney Island–lost and found. (Berkeley, Calif. : Ten Speed Press, c2002.)
Main Collection ; F129.C75 D46 2002

Profusely illustrated history of the island’s amusement district, focused on the period 1955-2000 and including many personal reminiscences by the author, who grew up in the neighborhood and began photographing it as a teenager.

Denson, Charles. Wild Ride: A Coney Island Roller Coaster Family. (Berkeley, CA : Dreamland Press, c2007.)
Main Collection ; F129.C75 D465 2007

A short biography of the Bonsignore family, operators of several Coney Island attractions during the 20th century. Includes a listing of Coney Island roller coasters and a map showing the location of notable roller coasters in the 1940s.

Immerso, Michael. Coney Island: the people’s playground. (New Brunswick ;   Rutgers University Press, c2002.)
Main Collection ; F129.C75 I46 2002

Concise history of Coney Island as an amusement center, from 1824 through the 1990s. Illustrated with many photographs. Index.

McCullough, Edo. Good old Coney Island :a sentimental journey into the past […] (New York : Scribner, [1957].)
Reference ; F129.C75 M3 1957

Written by a nephew of George C. Tilyou, the legendary Coney Island showman; showcases the most colorful aspects of the island’s history, from illicit entertainments to corrupt political machinations. Includes a chapter on the origin of Gravesend, a brief glossary of carnival slang and underworld cant, and a subject index.

Onorato, Michael Paul. Another time, another world: Coney Island memories. (Fullerton : M.P. Onorato and California State University, Oral History Program, c1988.)
Main Collection ; GV1853.C6 O56 1988

Reminiscences of the author’s childhood on Coney Island during the 1940s and 1950s as the son of a Steeplechase Park employee. Includes oral history transcripts collected in the 1980s from former Coney Island workers, and a subject index.

Register, Woody. The kid of Coney Island: Fred Thompson and the rise of American amusements. (New York : Oxford University Press, 2001.)
Main Collection ; GV1852.2.T56 R44 200

Biography of a key Coney Island figure, who co-created Luna Park and built other innovative amusements. Faced with a scant biographical record, the author focuses on Thompson’s role in the larger story of the transformation of the American entertainment industry.

Snyder-Grenier, Ellen M. (Ellen Marie). Brooklyn!: an illustrated history. (Philadelphia : Temple University Press, 1996.)
Reference ; F129.B7 S693 1996

Chapter on Coney Island relates its history as a leisure destination. Illustrated with photographs drawn from the Brooklyn Historical Society’s collections. Includes a listing of suggested reading; many of the items are available at the Othmer Library.

Stockwell, A.P.; Stillwell, William. History of the Town of Gravesend / And Coney Island. (Brooklyn, N.Y. : [s.n.], 1884.)
Main Collection ; F129.B7 S795p 1884

Combines in one volume two separately written histories of Gravesend and Coney Island. Includes a map, portraits of prominent residents, and accounts of the early settlers of the town.

Weinstein, Stephen F. The nickel empire: Coney Island and the creation of urban seaside resorts in the United States. (1984)
Reference ; F129.G693 D58 2009

Ph.D. dissertation on the growth and decline of the leisure industry in Coney Island, from the early 1800s to the 20th century. Includes a brief appendix on estimating seasonal attendance during Coney Island’s heyday, plus maps of historic railroad and steamboat routes to the island.

Gravesend. (Brooklyn Eagle, 1946.)
Reference – Desk ; F129.B7 B755 1946 pt.3

48-page booklet, profusely illustrated, with brief articles on Lady Deborah Moody, the town’s oldest buildings, the early resort industry and racetrack, the Vitagraph silent movie studio, and Coney Island and the Dreamland fire.

Cooper, Victor H. A dangerous woman :New York’s first lady liberty : the life and times of Lady Deborah Moody […] (Bowie, MD : Heritage Books, 1995.)
Main Collection ; CT275.M6635 C66 1995

An account of Moody’s life and times, with many quotations from contemporaneous sources. Includes brief appendices on the nomenclature for religious dissenters of her era, and details about her personal library and her home in Gravesend. Illustrations, endnotes, index.

Documentary history of Gravesend town and Dame Deborah Moody, 1643 to 1659. Compiled by Saretta G. Hicks.
Reference ; F129.B7 D63 1964p

Transcriptions of early documents from the Town of Gravesend.

The following works are primarily collections of historical photographs with captions.

Berman, John S. Coney Island. (New York : Barnes and Noble Books, c2003.)
Main Collection ; F129.C75 B47 2003

Ditta, Joseph. Gravesend, Brooklyn. (Charleston, SC : Arcadia Publishing, c2009.)
Reference ; F129.G693 D58 2009

Ierardi, Eric. Gravesend, Brooklyn: Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay. (Dover, N.H. : Arcadia, 1996.)
Reference ; F129.G693 I37 1996

Snow, Richard. Coney Island: a postcard journey to the city of fire. (New York : Brightwaters Press, c1984.)
Reference ; F129.C75 S66 1984