Gag Reflex: Federico García Lorca: Paisaje de la multitud que vomita (Anochecer en Coney Island)

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Champion eater Joey Chestnut eats hot dogs as he participates in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July eating contest in Coney Island: photo by Peter Foley /EPA via the Guardian, 4 July 2014

Prelude: Gag Reflex at Playtime: Fun Has Nothing To Do With It

 

Joey Chestnut competes in the 2012 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Eating Contest at Coney Island in Brooklyn: photo by Eric Thayer/Reuters via The Guardian, 5 July 2012



Joey Chestnut wins the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating contest with a total of 69 hot dogs and buns: photo by John Minchillo/AP via the Guardian, 4 July 2013

Joey Chestnut downs record 69 hot dogs at Coney Island eating contest: Winner of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is frank: 'I'd do this for nothing': Associated Press in New York via The Guardian 4 July 2013

Joey Chestnut ate 69 franks, devouring his own record in the men's Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest on Thursday. Sonya Thomas defended her title in the women's competition.

Chestnut, who is from San Jose in California and is known as Jaws, ate one more wiener than his previous record to capture the mustard-yellow champion's belt. He said afterward that he was motivated by the prestige, not the $10,000 prize money. "I'd do this for nothing," he said.

Thomas, a 100lb dynamo known as the Black Widow of competitive eating, wolfed down nearly 37 wieners to narrowly win the women's title.

Chestnut, 29, is a seven-time winner who set the old record -– 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes -– in 2009 and tied it in 2012. Thomas, 45, powered through 45 dogs to take the women's championship last year and also won in 2011, the first year women competed separately.

Chestnut, who weighs 210lb, had said his pace was uneven in the past, but "this year I'm trying to eat a little more gracefully, conserve my energy". The second-place finisher was Matt Stonie, who chomped down 51 hot dogs. Chestnut has now bested his rival, Takeru Kobayashi, who won six times. Kobayashi competed in a different eating contest Thursday.

Thomas went toe-to-toe with Juliet Lee for the $5,000 women's prize. Thomas finished with 36 and three-quarters dogs; Lee ate 36 wieners. Thomas said the challenge of shoveling down dozens of franks is actually "more mental than physical". "I have to fight with myself, so I'm going to try to really focus," said Thomas, of Alexandria, Virginia, where she manages a fast-food restaurant.

Now in its 98th year, the contest draws crowds of thousands to marvel at contestants cramming frankfurters down their throats. Ginger Perry, 47, of Obion County, Tennessee, said she and her family planned their New York City City vacation around the contest, after watching it on TV in past years. Perry was impressed that Coney Island has recovered so well from being slammed by Hurricane Sandy last October. "It's amazing to be here and that they rebuilt so quickly," she said.

The hot dog contest took place despite concerns about a swaying, shuttered observation tower that spurred the closure of parts of the nearby amusement park. The shutdown didn't affect Nathan's, but Coney Island's famous Cyclone roller coaster and other rides were closed. Workers were using a crane to dismantle the tower.

Young Contender No Joke

That #Stonie guy is no joke. Got close to #joeychestnut #NathansFamousHotdogEatingContest: image via Bets & Broads Bruh @kixstagram, 4 July 2014

Family hotdog eating contest watch party because this is America. #joeychestnut: image via Elizabeth Lloyd @lloyd_says, 4 July 2014 Point Pleasant, NY

Watching #Nathanshotdog eating contest at the restaurant: image via René Argüello @Rennnyrunner, 2 July 2012 

My lunch :) #NathansHotDog: image via Jazmine @yooojazz, 8 September 2012

Hahaha not even surprised #Murica: image via Karl Armstrong @farmboy8400, 18 April 2015

Rain or Shine, Nothing Can Stop the Vomiting Multitudes ("Expect dangerous rip currents... I love your hat, by the way")

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio watches as Sonya 'The Black Widow' Thomas (left) and challenger Miki Sudo face-off during a weigh-in ceremony in the women's competition at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July eating contest in Coney Island: photo by Don Emmert via the Guardian, 4 July 20144

Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Hosts Nathan's Famous 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest Weigh-In Ceremony: City of New York, NY press release via noodls, 3 July 2014

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you so much. Thank you George.

[Applause]

Thank you for your leadership of this important enterprise. I love your hat, by the way. High fashion.

Well, it is an honor to be here to help kick off a great New York tradition, the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island. Now tomorrow -- this will be at the Nathan's original location, a place that is sacred to all New Yorkers, the original site that is imbued in all of us, a part of our culture, something that is quintessentially New York, a place I love to visit. And this is, of course, the contest is a one of a kind New York summer tradition. It dates back at least 42 years. Now, there is a historical bone of contention. There are reports that trace it back to July 4, 1916. Historians are still working on this matter.

As a proud Brooklynite, I am particularly honored to be a part of this. My family loves Coney Island, we've loved it for years. And we go down there and have a great time. And a Nathan's hot dog is obviously always a part of the experience. And all of us feel a special bond this year with Coney Island because of the role that my children played in the Mermaid Parade. Dante as King Neptune, Chiara as queen of the mermaids. Chirlane and I got caught up in the excitement, got dressed up too. It seemed like the natural thing to do. We had a great time. And I must say, on top of all else, I just personally love Nathan's hot dogs and look for every opportunity to have one. So this is a very good day here at City Hall. A lot of very enthusiastic City Hall staffers today, buying the hot dogs.

I want to thank Nathan's Famous's president, Wayne Norbitz, for his leadership, and all he does for New York City, and for preserving -- being a real force in preserving what's great about Coney Island, and what is obviously a -- Nathan's Famous, that original location, one of the great iconic locations in this city. Nathan's Famous started nearly 100 years ago as a nickel hot dog stand, and became a beloved staple -- first in Coney Island, then all over the city, then all over the whole New York area. The famous green and mustard yellow sign is a symbol beloved by all New Yorkers. And on top of that, Nathan's is very, very generous to their fellow New Yorkers, donating over 100,000 hot dogs a year to the Food Bank for New York City. And we deeply appreciate that.

Now, tomorrow, rain or shine, tens of thousands of people will descend on Coney Island to relish the great hot dog contest. That was my first attempt at a pun -- to relish it. Get it, everyone? This is a big deal. More than a million fans will be watching on ESPN. So, the eyes of the nation will be on Coney Island. And this is an extraordinary event, and it's very, very competitive. It's highly competitive. People train all year. Some might say it's so competitive it's a dog-eat-dog atmosphere.

I got great writers. I'll be here all week.

[LAUGHTER]

So tomorrow, we'll find out if the legend, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut can continue his streak. And we'll find out more about the rookie phenom, Miki Sudo. And, we'll see what the returning female champion Sonya Thomas can do, and she is known as the "Black Widow" -- obviously, a formidable competitor. The winner will not only get fame and renown, but the coveted and bejeweled mustard belt. There's one for the men's category, one for the women's category. The eyes of New York City are on this competition. And I'm looking forward to the weigh-in. We're going to have this important moment, and then I'm going to come back when we finish with this and talk to people about the weather dynamics we'll be facing in the next few days in this city. But, first and foremost, I want to wish everyone a very happy Independence Day, a wonderful weekend -- and it will be kicked off with this great event. And now, we're ready for the formal weigh-in.

BREAK

Mayor: This will just take a quick second, but I want to make sure everyone is up to date. We've obviously been watching the weather situation very carefully for tomorrow and for the whole weekend. Situating my Nathan's hot dog here for a moment.

So, the Office of Emergency Management has been tracking this weather system for several days, and remains in close contact with the National Weather Service to monitor the storm. The latest is Hurricane Arthur is currently about 300 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It is expected to turn northeast today, and is forecast to pass well southeast of New York City on Friday. According to the National Weather Service -- and we're going to emphasize in all the briefings we give from this point on that everything is as of the time of the last National Weather Service report. So at this moment, the -- thankfully New York City will not experience storm surges and will not experience particularly high winds. We will continue to monitor the storm constantly and vigilantly, but the report at this moment is we will not be hit by a surge or by particularly high winds.

What New York City will experience, based on the reports we're receiving now, is heavy rainfall and strong tides. So we saw some flooding last night. We can expect heavy rains, some flash flooding as a result. And we will see that starting this afternoon, going through Friday afternoon. Want to remind people to be very careful in any areas that are prone to flooding and be mindful of the possibility of very fast flooding, flash flooding. So particular caution while driving in areas prone to flooding.

Now, another thing we do expect is dangerous rip currents. So this will be particularly true, obviously, for folks who are out at the ocean beaches, tomorrow and over the weekend. We expect these rip currents-they're to be taken very seriously. No one should take lightly these currents, they're very dangerous. All beachgoers should only swim in areas monitored by lifeguards. I want to emphasize that. With these kinds of currents, they are much stronger than is visible. No one should take them lightly. If there are not lifeguards around, you should not be swimming there. Also it's crucial to heed the instructions of lifeguards. If lifeguards are telling people to get out of the water, they should take that seriously. They should honor that immediately. And please pay close attention to any flags and posted signs indicating danger.We will see some lightning, most likely. Obviously lightening in open areas can be dangerous. When lightening occurs people should take cover. Get indoors if at all possible.

So, we'll keep a close eye on the situation. We'll have other updates as we go along. So far, thank God, some of the worst possibilities are passing us by, but we still want to take this very seriously and we will keep everyone updated. And despite this we know the contest goes on rain or shine, and we're hopeful for a great holiday weekend for everyone. That's the update, thanks everyone.

#JoeyChestnut 1/1 out of @Leaf_Cards pulled @finestboxbreaks #FinestBoxBreaks #Leaf: image via Josh Patterson @Josh Patterson, 28 March 2015

 

Coney Island: photo by James Jowers, 1966 (George Eastman House)

 

 I'll miss #ConeyIsland too. This was my brunch one day. It was 10:15am: image via Paul @RedSoxPatsPens, 18 April 2015

@FamousNathan doc screens at Westchester Jewish Film Festival in April #Nathans #ConeyIsland: image via Coney Island History @Coney Island History, 6 April 2015

 

Federico García Lorca: Paisaje de la multitud que vomita (Anochecer en Coney Island)

and another photo of me! Not taken by me, still pretty handsome! #35mms #bird #crow #brooklyn #coneyisland #blackandwhite: image via Black Crow @FartingCrow, 31 March 2015

La mujer gorda venía delante
arrancando las raíces y mojando el pergamino de los tambores
la mujer gorda
que vuelve del revés los pulpos agonizantes.
La mujer gorda, enemiga de la luna,
corría por las calles y los pisos deshabitados
y dejaba por los rincones pequeñas calaveras de paloma
y levantaba la furia de los banquetes de los siglos últimos
y llamaba al demonio del pan por las colinas del cielo barrido
y filtraba un ansia de luz en las circulaciones subterráneas.
Son los cementerios, lo sé, son los cementerios
y el dolor de las cocinas enterradas bajo la arena,
son los muertos, los faisanes y las manzanas de otra hora
los que nos empujan en la garganta.

Llegaban los rumores de la selva del vómito
con las mujeres vacías, con niños de cera caliente,
con árboles fermentados y camareros incansables
que sirven platos de sal bajo las arpas de la saliva.
Sin remedio, hijo mío, ¡vomita! No hay remedio.
No es el vómito de los húsares sobre los pechos de la prostituta,
ni el vómito del gato que se tragó una rana por descuido.
Son los muertos que arañan con sus manos de tierra
las puertas de pedernal donde se pudren nublos y postres.

La mujer gorda venía delante
con las gentes de los barcos, de las tabernas y de los jardines.
El vómito agitaba delicadamente sus tambores
entre algunas niñas de sangre
que pedían protección a la luna.
¡Ay de mí! ¡Ay de mí! ¡Ay de mi!
Esta mirada mía fue mía, pero ya no es mía,
esta mirada que tiembla desnuda por el alcohol
y despide barcos increíbles
por las anémonas de los muelles.
Me defiendo con esta mirada
que mana de las ondas por donde el alba no se atreve,
yo, poeta sin brazos, perdido
entre la multitud que vomita,
sin caballo efusivo que corte
los espesos musgos de mis sienes.
 

Pero la mujer gorda seguía delante
y la gente buscaba las farmacias
donde el amargo trópico se fija.
Sólo cuando izaron la bandera y llegaron los primeros canes
la ciudad entera se agolpó en las barandillas del embarcadero.
 

New York, 29 de diciembre de 1929

Federico García Lorca (1898-1936): Paisaje de la multitud que vomita (Anochecer en Coney Island), from Poeta en Nueva York, 1930

 

 

Coney Island Cyclone: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Kid, Sand, Bottles (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Kids in Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Girls on Beach (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Coney Island Bench: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Romantic Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

 

 

Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

 

Federico García Lorca:  Landscape of A Vomiting Multitude (Dusk at Coney Island)

The fat lady came out first,
tearing out roots and moistening drumskins.
The fat lady
who turns dying octopuses inside out.
The fat lady, the moon's antagonist,
was running through the streets and deserted buildings
and leaving tiny skulls of pigeons in the corners
and stirring up the furies of the last centuries' feasts
and summoning the demon of bread through the sky's clean-swept hills
and filtering a longing for light into subterranean tunnels.
The graveyards, yes the graveyards
and the sorrow of the kitchens buried in sand,
the dead, pheasants and apples of another era,
pushing it into our throat.

There were murmurings from the jungle of vomit
with the empty women, with hot wax children,
with fermented trees and tireless waiters
who serve platters of salt beneath harps of saliva.
There's no other way, my son, vomit! There's no other way.
It's not the vomit of hussars on the breasts of their whores,
nor the vomit of cats that inadvertently swallowed frogs,
but the dead who scratch with clay hands
on flint gates where clouds and desserts decay.

The fat lady came first
with the crowds from the ships, taverns, and parks.
Vomit was delicately shaking its drums
among a few little girls of blood
who were begging the moon for protection.
Who could imagine my sadness?
The look on my face was mine, but now isn't me,
the naked look on my face, trembling for alcohol
and launching incredible ships
through the anemones of the piers.
I protect myself with this look
that flows from waves where no dawn would go,
I, poet without arms, lost
in the vomiting multitude,
with no effusive horse to shear
the thick moss from my temples.

The fat lady went first
and the crowds kept looking for pharmacies
where the bitter tropics could be found.
Only when a flag went up and the first dogs arrived
did the entire city rush to the railings of the boardwalk.

Federico García Lorca (1898-1936): Landscape of A Vomiting Multitude (Dusk at Coney Island), translated by Greg Dictionary Simon and Steven F. White, 1988

Coney Island Fisherman: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Coney Island Fisherman: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Coney Island Fisherman: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Pail of Fish (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Coney Island Pier: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Coney Island Pier: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Girl on the Beach (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Seagulls in Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Holy Tortillas (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

The Sax Player (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

 Coney Island Drunk: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Man on the Boardwalk (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Woman in Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Man on Coney Island Beach: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Couple Swimming (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Beach (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Twilight in Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Cha Cha Bar in Coney Island: photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005

Playtime In the Realm of the Fleshapods

Weegee, 1940, by Red Grooms, features in the Wadsworth Atheneum’s new exhibition – Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861-2008: photo by Wadsworth Atheneum via the Guardian, 30 January 2014

Afternoon Crowd at Coney Island, Brooklyn, July 21. 1940: photo by Weegee, 1940  courtesy Wadsworth Atheneum via Artes Magazine, 16 April 2015

Les plages sont déjà bondées sur #weegee: image via Shop Majestic Richard Pye @ShopMajestic, 10 May 2013

Circa 1945: A huge crowd of people in swimsuits on the beach at Coney Island, with the ferris wheel and Cyclone rides visible in the background: photo by Hulton Archive via the Guardian, 30 June 2012

Escape to Coney Island, 1945.  Mildred Jacobs and Fred Massaro, seemingly oblivious to the crowd of almost 1.5 million people who flocked to the beach on the day before the US air force dropped the atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, enjoy each other's company on the beach at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York on 5 August 1945. A crowd of 1,499,998 people was recorded as visiting the beach on the first pleasant Sunday in almost a month: photo Paul Bernius courtesy  of New York Daily News Archive via The Guardian, 4  July 2013

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

 

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

 

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

 

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

 

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

 

Untitled, Coney Island: photo ©Aaron Rose from the exhibition In a World of their Own: Coney Island Photographs 1961-1963 courtesy Museum of the City of New York via The Guardian, 15 May 2014

Playtime for the Fleshapods: That Was Then: The Cyclone

 Largest crowd in @AFThunderbirds history was 1983 at #Coneyisland.  2 million people!: image via Coney Island History @ConeyHistory, 11 April 2015 Brooklyn, NY

People ride the Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island. In celebration of its 85th year of operation, the wooden coaster cost 25 cents for the first 85 minutes it was open on Saturday: photo by Eric Thayer/Reuters via the Guardian, 30 June 2012

 

Thrillseekers get a hair-raising ride on the roller coaster in August 1944: photo by Marie Hansen/Time & Life Pictures via The Guardian, 30 June 2012

A girl raises her arms in the air at the first drop on the Cyclone at the 80th anniversary celebration of the rollercoaster in 2007: photo courtesy of New York Daily News Archive via the Guardian, 30 June 2012

The famous rollercoaster sits idle on the snow covered ground in January 2005: photo by Stephen Chernin via the Guardian, 30 June 2012

People ride the Cyclone on the first day of its reopening in March 2005: photo by Spencer Platt via the Guardian, 30 June 2012

Passengers enjoy the Cyclone's descent: photo by Mary Altaffer/AP via the Guardian, 30 June 2012

 A maintenance worker applies a decal commemorating the Cyclone's 85th anniversary while people wait in line to buy tickets: photo by Mary Altaffer/AP via the Guardian, 30 June 2012

 

It's old and rickety, but people head to Coney Island every year for its most popular attraction: photo by Mary Altaffer/AP via the Guardian, 30 June 2012

A miniature Cyclone featured in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade: photo by Mary Altaffer/AP via the Guardian, 30 June 2012 

 

Oh No! Breakdown at the Summit! Opening Day yet... and the Playtime Cyclone Slips a Cog!

Oh no RT: “@AOL: Riders evacuated from famed roller coaster": #ConeyIsland: image via Doug Bearak @dbearak, 30 March 2015

Scary opening day for #ConeyIsland Cyclone riders.... whoopsy: @EricAdamsBP2013: image via New York Filmmaker @fimsbyAmy, 30 March 2015

#NewYork #rollercoaster mishap briefly strands riders #ConeyIsland: image via New Straits Times @NST_Online, 29 March 2015

Still working out early season kinks? #ConeyIsland's Cyclone gets stuck on 1st day. (Via @NY1): image via Jon Dougherty @JonDTWCNews, 29 March 2015

 MT #ConeyIsland's @TheCyclone gets stuck on track. Riders walk down (Photo MGonzalez): image via Thelmo Cordones @TCordones, 29 March 2015

#ConeyIsland's #cyclone got stuck on #openingday! Check out this pic from viewer, Miguel. I'll have more on @news12bk: image via Amanda Plasencia @AmandaPlasencia, 29 March 2015

#ConeyIsland Cyclone roller coaster gets stuck today, stranding passengers at top of ride: image via Connor Ryan @connortryan, 29 March 2015

Visitantes se quedan atrapados en la montaña rusa de #ConeyIsland #cyclone: image via NY1 Noticias @NY1noticias, 29 March 2015

Luna Park Cyclone on #ConeyIsland breaks down during its first ride of the season. Hear from riders at 9 on @WLNYTV, image via Valerie Castro @VCastroTV, 29 March 2015

That slippery slope -- it was always going to be a long way down at the end of Playtime...

An abandoned "Giant Slide" at Coney Island: photo by Arthur Tress, May 1973 for the Environmental Protexction Agency's Documerica project (US National Archives)

An abandoned "Giant Slide" at Coney Island: photo by Arthur Tress, May 1973 for the Environmental Protection Agency's Documerica Project (US National Archives)

So why does it always look like Playtime's so much more fun somewhere else, like in places where they don't have to throw up to celebrate things... for example Thailand... or the deep fantasy past?

Ban Hat Sieo, Thailand. A Thai Buddhist monk-to-be wearing a colourful traditional costume tumbles as he rides an elephant to bathe during an annual procession at Yom river: photo by Pongmanat Tasiri/EPA via the Guardian, 7 April 2015

 

The Dragon's Gorge (an enclosed roller coaster), Luna Park, Coney Island, New York: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Hugh Manatee, 2009



Shooting the Chutes at Luna Park, Coney Island, New York: photographer unknown, postcard published by Hamlin and Moskowitz, 1907; image by Hugh Manatee, 2009



Helter Skelter slide, Luna Park, Coney Island, New York: photographer unknown, postcard published by the Illustrated Postal Card Company, 1906; image by Hugh Manatee, 2009



Luna Park, Surf Avenue, Coney Island, New York: photographer unknown, postcard published by C.S. Woolworth and Company, 1913; image by Hugh Manatee, 2009



Elephant ride in Luna Park, Coney Island, New York: photographer unknown, 1906; image by Hugh Manatee, 2009



Abandoned parachute jump at Steeplechase Park on Coney Island: photo by Arthur Tress (1940-) for the Environmental Protection Agency's Documerica project, May/June 1973 (US National Archives)

Entrance to abandoned parachute jump at Steeplechase Park on Coney Island: photo by Arthur Tress for the Environmental Protection Agency's Documerica project, May/June 1973 (US National Archives)

Dancing to the End of Love at Playtime

Beautiful. Woman with man with leopard print jacket. #ConeyGala #ConeyIsland Brooklyn 2015 #leicaimages: image via Garret Kalleberg @dadalavida, 4 April 2015

Beautiful. Woman between two dancers. #ConeyGala #ConeyIsland Brooklyn 2015 #leicaimages: image via Garret Kalleberg @dadalavida, 4 April 2015

 

The dolls, how they are, doubled, and doubled. #ConeyGala #ConeyIsland Brooklyn 2015 #leicaimages: image via Garret Kalleberg @dadalavida, 4 April 2015

 

The sparkle & glow of beautiful things in the night.. #ConeyGala #ConeyIsland Brooklyn 2015 #leicaimages: image via Garret Kalleberg @dadalavida, 4 April 2015

#coneyisland MT @NYPDDetectives: Recognize this tattoo? help ID a female found dead in the @NYPD60Pctto: image via Yaelbt @taelbt, 16 April 2015

 

#ThrowbackThursday #ConeyIsland 2008: Watch Her Dance to the End of Love: image via Miss Coney Island @Miss Coney Island, 2 April 2015

Morphogenesis: Life's a Beach at Playtime

morphogenesis selected for group exhibition other world @ph21 budapest. #nancyoliveriphotography #coneyisland: image via nancy oliveri @NancyOliveri, 7 April 2015

 Life's a beach.....in the rain! #ConeyIsland: image via Dawn Hardwick @Dawn Hardwick, 3 April 2015

 

 #lagiostra #coneyisland: image via negramaro @Negramaro, 1 April 2015

...and as the long day at Playtime closes, the ocean wind comes up, and blows the stink away... until tomorrow...

 

Wind (Coney Island): photo by MamboZ, 19 July 2005