Coney Island

Coney Island, an amusement park on the Atlantic Ocean in Brooklyn New York, was a treasure trove of photographing opportunities for many New York Photo League photographers. Martin Elkort was no exception and many of his vintage photographs, taken in the early years of the 1950’s, focused primarily on the art of documentary photography, capturing the complex layering of every-day people having fun in their free time on Coney Island. From park rides such as “grabbing the brass ring” on the merry go round to the automated fortune teller, many of these images have become part of our America’s cultural identity.