Writer and playwright who grew up in Coney Island from 1943 to 1956
Carol Polcovar is a writer and playwright who grew up in Coney Island from age three through sixteen. Her family moved from Brighton Beach to West 35th Street next to P.S. 188, where she longed to go to kindergarten. The home that she remembers best...
Content type: Oral History Item
Founder of Cultural Research Divers shares his knowledge of oceans, estuaries, and Coney Island Creek
Gene Ritter is a Coney Island native, environmental advocate, commercial diver and educator. He grew up on West 16th Street near Coney Island Creek and got certified as a diver as a 14-year-old. Gene is the founder and president of Cultural Research...
Content type: Oral History Item
Historian delves into the life of E.J. Perry, African-American silhouette artist at Luna Park
Historian Eric K. Washington's 2013 essay "E.J. Perry, African-American Silhouette Cutter of America's Leisure Circuit" brought the long forgotten Perry into the public eye once again. Called "America's most famous silhouette cutter" by The...
Content type: Oral History Item
A Coney Island resident describes her Steeplechase memories
Remembering Coney's carousels, the Steeplechase horses, Luna Park fires, riding the Parachute Jump, and her father, who worked at Dreamland.
Content type: Oral History Item
Coney Island got a much needed reprieve Saturday after its Dreamland amusement park re-opened just in time for the holiday weekend. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.
Coney Island is back, well, at least it looked that way Saturday...
Content type: Collection Item
Collection type: Television
Holders of Coney Island History
82 year-old Ben Grisar and his wife Vivian both grew up in Coney Island. Ben's grandfather owned many businesses in Coney Island including partial ownership in Dreamland Park, which was destroyed by fire in 1911. He shares his personal memories...
Content type: Oral History Item
Longtime Director of the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce
Long the executive secretary of the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce, 100-year-old Matt Kennedy was one of Coney Island's biggest champions. Matt was of Irish, Italian and Russian descent. His grandfather was a Coney Island lighthouse keeper...
Content type: Oral History Item