photo: jack szwergold
Another from 1976, complete with graffitied subway going by:
photo: tony marciante
And here's a fantastic shot of the interior from the 1950s. As I recall, the decor was exactly the same when the B&B closed. Same clowns on the wall. Same Popeye. Same basket for catching brass rings and same wooden arm that sent the rings out to the carousel riders.
photo: egulvision
Today, the sign has been painted over. The photographer of the pic below says on the Coney Island message boards that the inside has been painted over, too--no more clowns, no more Popeye. I wonder what happened to all those rings. It was from these carousel arms that we get the phrase "grab the brass ring."
Though we lost the sign, the horses were saved this spring when the city bought the carousel and sent them galloping off to Ohio for restoration.
photo: capt_nemo
3 comments:
the aliens are here!!!
Thanks so much for this! When I was very young (3-5), I was horse-crazy, so my family would take me here. I was too small to reach the brass ring, so my Dad would make a circle of thumb and forefinger, and I would pretend to "grab" it as I went by. Dad passed away in July of 2008; what a wonderful memory for me to reclaim! Thanks again!
In the 90s I used to go out to Coney from the Lower East Side on the weekends—not just summer; Mike ran the "Carousell" year-round—and ride it several times before I went home. I really enjoyed grabbing the rings; it was challenging, but I would often get them all. Mike called me "Hippie" and would sort-of flirt with me; I played dumb.
I particularly liked Coney in the off-season; that was when you would get to see the "real" Coney Island. I got a pair of Doc Martens for $4 at the flea market.
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