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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

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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 »

Luna Park Coney Island, Surf Avenue Entrance. June 6, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

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.

Talismanic Object Found On Boardwalk Construction Fence

Posted in art, Photography, tagged Bruce Handy, Coney Island, mystery object, talisman on January 16, 2011| 2 Comments »

Mystery Talisman Left on Construction Fence, Coney Island Boardwalk. January 15, 2011. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

Who made this exquisitely crafted talisman and why? On Saturday, Coney Island photographer Bruce Handy found what he described as “a strange voodoo mask” on the Boardwalk construction fence where Shoot the Freak used to be until it was razed by Zamperla. The site is the future entrance to Zamperla’s Scream Zone, which is set to open this spring with new thrill rides. At first glance, the photo reminded us of the Astroland Shrine, a memorial that mourned the loss of the amusement park in the last days of 2009. That shrine included a hand-made collage, which was stolen overnight, as well as flowers and talismanic objects placed on the Boardwalk gate of the former Astroland. Is this new talisman a lucky charm for the future and will it still be there in the morning?

Mystery Talisman Left on Construction Fence, Coney Island Boardwalk. January 15, 2011. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

Possible clues to this mystery: The most prominent feature on the front of the talisman is an eye. According to Wikipedia: “In Egyptian myth the eye was not the passive organ of sight but more an agent of action, protection or wrath.” Two small compasses are embedded in the flowers. The reverse side is characterized by Chinese imagery. What does it signify?

The phrase talismanic object seemed to fit, but what is a Talisman? ATZ consulted the website of Dr Raven, ConjureMan Ali…

Talismans are ritually prepared sacred objects that house spiritual power and force aimed at attracting specific objectives, energies, and goals… These talismans are constructed and consecrated in a variety of forms given the cultural matrix that they arise from. Some are a set of geometric and Qabalistic symbols and words that rely on complex associations to invoke a variety of powers, while others are simple objects infused with elemental, planetary, and natural power with the goal of attracting what is desired.

Mystery Talisman Left on Construction Fence, Coney Island Boardwalk. January 15, 2011. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

UPDATE January 18, 2011:

Over the weekend, some commenters on the Coney Island message board and Facebook claimed the object was the Evil Eye (“malocchio” ) against the Italian amusement operator Zamperla. ATZ strongly disagreed:

How do you know who put this talismanic object on the fence and why?

Anyway I disagree completely with everyone. I see it as exquisitely beautiful, but unsettling. Have you seen pictures of anything like it? I haven’t been able to find any on the web when I was researching my post today. I think it’s a singular creation. An esoteric artwork. Of course it has magical power!

It could also be a talisman or amulet to PROTECT the property AGAINST the person possessing the evil eye or perhaps against the development?

When I Googled ‘Evil Eye,’ I did find this from the Ophthalmic Heritage Museum of Vision. The amulet pictured below is apparently used to protect against the evil eye…

The concept of the evil eye is found in many cultures and religions, spanning the globe from the Middle East to the Americas. This superstition holds that a person possessing the evil eye can cause injury or even death to anyone they choose simply by gazing at them. Prayer, manual gesturing, and even mirrors have been used to avoid being cursed. More popular still are objects such as amulets, clothing, and jewelry that are decorated with stylized eyes.

ATZ sent an inquiry about the object to the Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College, CUNY. Here is their reply

Dear Tricia,

Thanks for your email.

Given the images on your blog, the well-crafted object looks like an artist’s rendering of a circum Mediterranean (but not limited to that area) amulet against the evil eye. Visual allusions to an evil eye amulet are the image of the eye, what we assume are rosary beads, and the horizontal rectangle on the back that references deceased saints’ reliquaries. Historically, amulets of this type were not used to cause a negative effect, but to counter a negative effect.

We hope this helps. Keep us posted!

Best,
Rosangela Briscese and Dr. Joseph Sciorra

Rosangela Briscese
Coordinator for Academic and Cultural Programs
Managing Editor, Italian American Review
John D. Calandra Italian American Institute
Queens College, CUNY