Dan's Barber Shop, West 16th Street, 1973. Photo © Charles Denson.
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.
Charles Denson grew up in the West End of Coney Island and as a teenager began photographing the surrounding neighborhood as it was transformed by an ill-conceived Urban Renewal program that called for the demolition of 60 blocks of homes and businesses.
“I grew up to the sounds of fire engines and bulldozers as block after block of viable housing went up in flames or was reduced to rubble under the treads of heavy machinery. None of the structures in my photographs has survived.”
Coney Island resembled a “war zone” during the years 1965 to 1975. Government funding for urban renewal projects ran out in 1974 and the community was left a debris field of burned out structures and closed businesses.
The exhibit shows the effects of discriminatory policies that began back in 1938 when the federal government “redlined” Coney Island. Redlining targeted the area because of prejudice against immigrants, African Americans, and local residents who were predominantly of Jewish, Italian, and Irish ancestry. The flawed policies of the Federal Housing Administration made it nearly impossible for homeowners to obtain mortgages, loans, and insurance. Slumlords, arsonists, greedy developers, and block-busting took advantage of the situation and quality of life deteriorated as the area became a poverty pocket.
“My photographs show how resilient the neighborhood proved to be as residents survived as best they could with what remained. During this ten year period I photographed portraits of local residents, family-run businesses, and the dramatic day-to-day changes taking place in Coney Island.”
Charles Denson is the executive director of the nonprofit Coney Island History Project. He grew up in Coney Island and began documenting his neighborhood as a boy, a passion that continues to this day. His first book, Coney Island: Lost and Found, was named 2002 New York Book of the Year by the New York Society Library. He is the also author of Wild Ride: A Coney Island Roller Coaster Family! (2007), Coney Island and Astroland (2011), and Coney Island's Wonder Wheel Park (2020). A writer, photographer and art director, Denson began his career in 1971 as a photographer for New York Magazine.
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.
Kids playing on mattresses, West 32nd Street, 1969. Photo © Charles Denson.
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