Abe Feinstein

Photographing his Coney Island neighborhood for 50 years

Interviewer:
Interviewee:
Abe Feinstein
Interview Date:
January 31 2010

Languages

Abe Feinstein moved with his wife and children to Luna Park Houses in 1962 and lived there for 31 years. Working at a camera store, he could get discounts on film and processing, which enabled him to take as many photos as he wished. He had a habit of taking daily walks around Coney Island and snapping pictures. Empty lots were a favorite subject and he would track them as they changed with new construction. Abe has seen many changes in Coney Island and says he looks forward to the future development of the area.

In 2012, two years after this interview was recorded, “Abe Feinstein: 50 Years of Coney Island Photography,” the photographer's first-ever exhibit, opened at the Coney Island History Project. It proved so popular that it remains on view as an iMovie with music of the 60s shown on a video screen. Abe Feinstein passed away on November 17, 2019 at the age of 90.