The Coney Island History Project will open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend with two new exhibits on view from May 24 through September 1, 2025. Charles Denson: Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975 and Amanda Deutch: Brooklyn Wilds combine street photography, cyanotypes, native plants, and poetry to explore the natural and urban sides of Coney Island that are not well known. Through the medium of photography, both shows complement each other by exploring the complexity of this New York City neighborhood. With this exhibit, we are introducing our new Wonder Gallery, a collaboration between Charles Denson and Amanda Deutch.
It has been said that the average American recognizes over 1000 logos and the products they’re related to and yet less than five plants or birds.”
— Brigitte Mars, Herbalist & Acclaimed Author
Brooklyn Wilds uses the early photographic process of cyanotype printing to showcase native plants and weeds, alongside poetry. All of the cyanotypes in this show were created outdoors in Brooklyn by Amanda Deutch using available natural light. Many were made on-site at Coney Island Creek.
Printing cyanotypes outdoors can present challenges. “I was dependent upon the weather and sunlight. Sometimes the light is too bright or overcast or the wind is too strong. It can take many attempts to get an accurate print,” according to Deutch.
This project started very humbly. She was interested in making a cyanotype to preserve a dandelion or mugwort leaf. As soon as she printed one, it became a challenge to capture the essence of the plant or weed through the process.
“Why flowers? As someone who grew up in New York City, I am drawn to nature. As development and climate change devour Brooklyn’s natural landscape, pausing to recognize and appreciate weeds and native flowers along the City’s edges is a radical act.” Most of us hardly notice the plants all around us. Otherwise known as “plant blindness,” they are often seen as background rather than for the fundamental role that they play in the Earth’s biosphere. Plants help regulate the Earth’s climate and are essential for food production and oxygen release.
All of the plants and flowers in Brooklyn Wilds were sourced locally in Coney Island and Southern Brooklyn. Humans are losing pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, at a time when we desperately need more pollination for our food supply. Seaside goldenrod can be found at the edges of the beach near the boardwalk and along Coney Island Creek. Considered a disruptive weed by many, wild dandelions are valuable and can be found everywhere! They are a highly resilient plant that boasts immense nutritional value, both for pollinators and humans. These are a few examples of the local weeds and plants in this show that can be found in Coney Island.
Amanda Deutch is a poet and the founding director of the nonprofit Parachute Literary Arts in Coney Island. A born and raised New Yorker, generations of her family have called Coney Island home. Deutch's book new york ironweed won Fence's 2025 Ottoline Prize (forthcoming). Her cyanotypes are published in WFMU’s LCD, Hot Pink, and Warmly Zine. Deutch’s poetry has been published in The Brooklyn Rail, The New York Times, and Oversound, among others. The author of several chapbooks, including Bodega Night Pigeon Riot and Surf Avenue & 29th Street, Coney Island, she lives in Brooklyn where she often looks for flowers in the cracks of the sidewalk.
The Coney Island History Project exhibition center is open free of charge on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Our hours are 1:00 PM-7:00 PM. We're located at 3059 West 12th Street, next to the West 12th Street entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, just a few steps off the Boardwalk.
