January | 2011 | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for January, 2011

Opens Jan 27: Nickel Empire: Coney Island Photographs 1898-1948

Posted in Photography, tagged Coney Island, E.E. Rutter, exhibition, Nickel Empire, Schroeder Romero & Shredder, vintage photograph on January 19, 2011| 2 Comments »

E.E. Rutter, "Untitled (Steeplechase Bicycle Ride)", c. 1925, Gelatin silver print, 7 3/8 x 9 1/8 inches. Courtesy Schroeder Romero & Shredder

Photographer E.E. Rutter’s glimpse of Steeplechase Park’s Bicycle Carousel watched over by George C. Tilyou’s waggish Funny Face is among the images on view in “Nickel Empire: Coney Island Photographs 1898-1948.” The exhibition of more than two dozen vintage photos along with a charred wooden horse from the Steeplechase ride that survived one of the park’s fires opens on January 27 at Schroeder Romero & Shredder. The Chelsea gallery, which opened in the fall, exhibits contemporary art in dialogue with historical works, gallerist Lisa Schroeder told ATZ. The Coney Island photographs and the horse are from the catalogue of Shredder, a collective formed by artists Brice Brown and Don Joint and named after their arts journal The Sienese Shredder.

Among the photographs in the exhibition are “scenes of scale models of rides, incandescent night views, people at play, and the great Bowery fire,” according to the press release. Though not in the exhibition, original plans for Steeplechase Park (1897-1964) and drawings of its rides will be available for private viewing, Schroeder said. The items are from the collection of historian and Brooklyn native Frederick Fried, who died in 1994. Fried’s pioneering works America’s Forgotten Folk Arts, Artists in Wood and The Pictorial History of the Carousel, which have long held a place on our bookshelf, brought folk art and amusement park art into the mainstream of collecting.

E.E. Rutter is less well known to us. But we learned quite a bit about him from Brooklynology, the Brooklyn Public Library’s wonderful blog. Photographs by Edgar E. Rutter (1883-1964), who advertised his studio as “E.E. Rutter,” are in the collections of the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Borough Public Library and the Brooklyn Historical Society. “He had a photography studio at number 8, 4th Avenue (among other locations) and was the official photographer for the Borough of Brooklyn. The subjects covered in our collection include Bush Terminal, Coney Island (with many images of the boardwalk and some well-muscled lifeguards)…”

“Nickel Empire: Coney Island Photographs 1898-1948,” January 27-February 26, 2011. Schroeder Romero & Shredder, 531 W 26th St, New York, NY 10001, 212-630-0722. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 – 6; Saturday, 11 – 6. Opening Reception: Thursday, January 27, 6-8pm.

Related posts on ATZ...

October 26, 2010: Studio Visit: Richard Eagan of the Coney Island Hysterical Society

October 26, 2010: Studio Visit: Philomena Marano of the Coney Island Hysterical Society

February 25, 2010: Happy Belated Birthday to Coney Island’s William F Mangels

November 16, 2009: Rare & Vintage: Coney Island Sideshow Banner by Dan Casola

Read Full Post »

Photo of the Day: Where the Bank of Coney Island Used to Be

Posted in Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged Coney Island in the snow, Jim McDonnell, Surf Avenue on January 17, 2011| 5 Comments »

Formerly the Bank Building. January 12, 2011. Photo © Jim McDonnell via smugmug

We’d like to say: Watch this corner for coming attractions! We certainly hope it doesn’t become a flea market or remain an empty lot. The snow-covered expanse at the corner of Surf Avenue and 12th Street is where the Bank of Coney Island building stood for nearly 90 years. The building had remained vacant since real estate speculator Joe Sitt of Thor Equities bought it in 2005 for $3 million. The bank was demolished in November.

Thanks to photographer Jim McDonnell for another excellent pic from his first walk of the new year in snowy Coney Island.

Coney Island’s Luna Park Hiring for 2011 Season

Posted in amusement industry, amusement park, tagged career, Central Amusement International, Coney Island, Luna Park, seasonal work, summer job on January 17, 2011| 2 Comments »

If you’re seeking a career in the amusement industry, Central Amusement International, the operator of Luna Park Coney Island, has listed five plum jobs on Craigslist. They’re hiring an Assistant Operations Manager to help oversee the park operation (salary of $30,000-$40,000 per year) as well as a Seasonal Assistant Operations Coordinator and a Seasonal Assistant Administrative Manager (pay rate of $14.45-$19.25 per hour). The seasonal positions are late March through early November. Luna Park and the new Scream Zone are expected to open for the 2011 season in mid-April.

Luna Park is also looking for a Maintenance Coordinator with five or more years experience and NAARSO and/or AIMS certification (salary of $50,000-$70,000 per year) and a Maintenance Technician with vocational or technical training (pay rate of $12-$18 per hour).

Information about entry level jobs such as ride operator, game operator, ticketseller and retail sales is available on the park’s website. When the new park opened last May, the City announced “in its inaugural season Luna Park is projected to create 247 new jobs in Coney Island, increasing to 330 full and part time positions in 2011, with an emphasis on local hiring.” The amusement park is a public-private partnership with the City of New York.