The largest of several mysterious rock carvings found on Coney Island's Beach. October 1, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr
Two weeks ago we posted Bruce Handy’s photos of an Easter Island-like face carved into a rock on Coney Island’s beach. The photographer had found the carving after a summer-long search set in motion by a mysterious pic I’d seen on twitter. Both of us supposed it was a hoax because we’d neither seen nor heard of any carvings on the beach. Now we know why: the face was buried in the sand!
Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr
ATZ thought it would be fun to post Bruce’s first pix of the face as a mystery photo and have readers guess its location. Much to our surprise, Jack Szwergold, a reader who grew up in the neighborhood, quickly replied with the correct answer as well as memories of the carver:
I was a kid, so what I remember is a leathery, shirtless tanned old man with white hair and facial hair. I was born in 1968, so I would say I saw the guy carving this between 1976 and 1979. Yeah, a huge swath of time, but I know it was not earlier than that. Definitely looks “smoother” due to age than I remember it.
No idea who the guy was but there is an equal chance he’s a artist or one of the many transient “characters” Brighton’s cheap rent attracted. Or perhaps a mix of both?
Who knows exactly. What a magical, weird place the neighborhood was back then.
Oh, for what it’s worth I always thought it was an American Indian. As an adult it looks a tad Aztec to my eyes.
One of the faces carved into rocks on Coney Island's Beach. September 25, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr
Since then Bruce Handy and friends have discovered and photographed five more carvings. You can see his set of photos on flickr. Here are excerpts from Bruce’s “Easter Island” in Coney Island Diary:
9/25/10
I found one more face, that makes five, 3 small ones on one rock, one big
one and the one I found today: medium size on the rock closest to the shore.
Now for the strange part. The big face is 80% covered with sand. I had to dig
out the top portion. I thought at first someone had removed the rock from
the beach. After about ten minutes I found the upper portion. So the ocean has
returned the sand. Until the next hurricane, the face will remain hidden.
10/1/10 – TS Nicole has released Mr. Easter from the silent sorrowful sand giving him a brief glimpse of the Sun today.
Unfinished. October 3, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr
10/2/10 – Jim V discovered another face, a profile on the corner of a rock….
10/3/10 – Sand is coming back, Mr. Easter is 1/2 covered. A Russian man exercising before his swim points out a bas relief face on the east side closer to the water. Another abstract face, maybe unfinished, is also discovered near the boardwalk.
Bas relief carved into rocks on Coney Island's Beach, October 3, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr
Related posts on ATZ…
October 3, 2010: Photo of the Day: Kite Aerial Photography of Coney Island
September 21, 2010: Mystery Photo: Easter Island-Like Face on Coney Island Beach
February 26, 2010: Photo of the Day: Snow Mermaid on Coney Island Beach
December 4, 2009: Photo of the Day: Let It Snow! in Coney Island
Amusing the Zillion 
Barry on flickr has stated that perhaps the rocks were carved by an “ancient rock carving mermaid civilization”,
MERCI, please, the MERmaids of Coney Island (MERCI) were indeed the first ones to spot the rock. As their human contact, their translator of emphatology, they contacted me. I’ll have to grok them about the ancient rock carving memaids, perhaps the siren song memory has been passed down.
Bruce, I like how this story continues to unfold. Perhaps there are more faces waiting to be discovered and more people with anecdotes to share?
I think Bruce is suited to be the caretaker of all of Coney Island its buried secrets and its many faces. You seem to be familiar with every grain of sand, sight and sound that is Coney Island. So many grains and so little time.
One hopes for a history through the siren’s song…. I bet if he dug deep enough he’d pull up the most beautiful carvings.
They remind me of good times.
This is a very interesting site. I lived on Long Island as a child and remember Coney Island quite well and have a few very good memories of the place. I loved the atmosphere. I did not know about the face rocks until I came across your site. Whoever the mystery carver happens to be, he or she is very good!
wonderful, I wish I had a series of black and white photos in my home above my fireplace!
The funny thing is that now russians are saying that those faces were carved 200 000 years ago by ancient russians who lived in America way earlier Columbus arrived…
It’s true, butt not that old. Plus Native American
DNA comes from Russia. Pre Columbus
why haven’t these stones been looked into further…?
I found this info fascinating – since I am from NY and have never heard this until I watched a video about unsolved mysteries all over the world to include this…? The woman lives half way around the world, yet she knew of this!?!?
Those are Slavic pagan Gods