Experiences at the Mermaid Parade
Naomi M, an 11 year old Brooklyn native, shares a story about an experience she had at the Mermaid Parade one year.
Content type: Oral History Item
Great-grandson of strongman The Great Sandow
Chris's great-grandfather was strongman The Great Sandow, Eugen Sandow, who was born 1867 and died 1925. He describes how many bodybuilders in the 20th century, including the Mighty Atom, modeled themselves after his great-grandfather, who at...
Content type: Oral History Item
Future elephant rider for the circus
Six year-old Sydney and her mother Stephanie Cozby visited the History Project before they went to the circus to celebrate her friends' birthdays. Among her favorite things in Coney Island are watching fireworks from the beach at night, eating...
Content type: Oral History Item
Family owned the Shamrock Irish House and Eldorado Arcade
Sheila and her family owned and operated the largest arcade in Coney Island, the Eldorado. Her father, his two brothers and three sisters opened The Shamrock Irish House, a restaurant/cabaret/open-air bar, in the early 1940's, and her family...
Content type: Oral History Item
High school sweethearts from Coney Island
Sherri and Harold Kaufman grew up together in Coney Island and were sweethearts at Lincoln High School. They have been married for forty years now and live in Massachusetts, but they still return occasionally to visit their old home. Harold worked...
Content type: Oral History Item
Oldest market in Coney Island
The sounds of a typical day at Major Markets on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island. Founded in the 1930's, Major Markets is a throwback to the days when the entire length of Mermaid Avenue, from Stillwell Avenue to Sea Gate, was a bustling retail...
Content type: Oral History Item
Helicopter pilot who landed on the Coney Island beach
Each spring New York City honors the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps during Fleet Week. Major Stacy Pandak participated as the first female pilot in the USMC MAGTF Air/Ground Demo in Coney Island. She explains some details about how the demo is...
Content type: Oral History Item
Former resident theater artist at Coney Island USA
Fourty-four-year-old Joseph, a former "focalizer" for the Rainbow Nation, gives us a spiritual, mystical take on Coney Island. He used to come to Coney with his parents as a young child, lived in Sea Gate from age 10 to 19 and, in the 80...
Content type: Oral History Item
13-year-old side show worker and activist
Thirteen-year-old Coney Island activist Patrick Burns works at the Side Show, Astroland, and El Dorado. He speaks of his love for Coney Island, "one of the great world wonders," and his plans for saving the place he loves.
Content type: Oral History Item
Parachute Jump lighting designer
Leni Schwendinger discusses her inspiration and process in creating a lighting design for the Parachute Jump including color selection and finding a way to express the feeling and movement of the Parachute Jump when it was a working ride. She...
Content type: Oral History Item