Mermaid Avenue at West 28th Street, Coney Island. June 25, 2011. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i
In Woody Guthrie’s delightful song about Coney Island’s Mermaid Avenue, where he lived in the 1940s and ’50s, the songwriter says that he’d never seen a mermaid here. Neither have we. But at last night’s screening of “The Prince of Mermaid Avenue” at the South Brooklyn Youth Consortium at 2811 Mermaid, ATZ asked a couple of kids in the summer program if they were mermaids.
The avenue of neighborhood shops, churches and residences is just one block north of the Coney Island amusement area’s main drag, Surf Avenue. So close, yet a world away. At dusk we spotted this poster for “A Coney Good Time” at the bus stop at West 28th Street.
While there may not be any mermaids on Mermaid Avenue, there once was a prince: The documentary “The Prince of Mermaid Avenue” is about Jimmy Prince, who retired after 60 years at Mermaid Avenue’s Major Market. Charles Denson’s film is screening again today, June 30, at 2 pm at the Coney Island Library, 1901 Mermaid Avenue at West 18th Street.
Related posts on ATZ…
June 9. 2011: Photo of the Day: Mango Vendor in Coney Island
June 6, 2011: HBO’s Bored to Death Brings Susquehanna Hat Co. to Coney Island
May 3, 2011: Photo of the Day: Street Art by RAE in Coney Island
October 28, 2010: Photo Album: Requiem for Coney Island’s Shoot Out the Star
Amusing the Zillion 
I really have enjoyed your blog. The history is amazing. I have a very specific
question, pertaining to a motordrome and the Royal American Show of 1940-1943.
My mother was with the show in an ice skating revue called the Royal Ice Palace Revue. They skated on Iceolite, an artificial ice that was invented in 1938. Skating in a tent under the hot summer sun was successful and novel enough that she was with the show for three years as a feature and chorus skater.
I am interested in obtaining any information about the hit of the R.A.S. in those years, the Majorie Kemp Thrill Area/ Motordrome with lions. The Lion tamer, thrill rider and perhaps manager was George Murray. I am tying to find out any information about George. I have photos to share with his family, if he ever had one. I have R.A.S. memorabilia,WWII postcards, letters, photos of him and from him to my mother. His signature was simply,” As Ever George.”
Majorie Kemp was the star and perhaps owner of the act. She had at least ten bikes and riders, six were women and they were called her “Legion of Lady Hell Riders”. The act had a least one male lion that stood on a pedestal as they rode around him. R.A.S. billed the act, “As the most famous motordrome performers in the world and the most spectacular attraction ever presented on a portable amusement midway.”
Considering all that, I have not been able to locate much information about
this act and have only my mother’s memorabilia to go on. It’s carnival history and I am enjoying my hunt and wondered if you or your followers have any leads?
Thanks
Mesha