Luna Park, Coney Island, 1903

Luna Park, one of the great amusement parks of Coney Island's Heyday, in 1903. Footage is from "Rube and Mandy's visit to Coney Island" (Edison Manufacturing Co., 1903). Music is "Meet Me Down at Luna, Lena", sung by Billy Murray (1905).

Category:

Education

Tags:

• coney island
• luna park
• amusement park
• brooklyn
• coney
• luna
• new york
• new york history

[Vsevka]

This is wonderful :)

[ethelmalley]

@Vsevka thanks so much! and thanks for watching!

[darthstarkiller1912]

I didn't know they had hot dogs back then.

[ethelmalley]

@darthstarkiller1912 yes! the story is a restauranteer named charles feltman (who's restaurant stood where the new luna park/old astroland is) created them at coney island in the late 1800's (i'm a little unsure of the year). a former employee of his named nathan handwerker made then a bit more famous when he opened his eponymous hot dog stand, "nathan's" at coney island. thanks much for watching!

[LunaOnEarth]

Great footage of a place that we cannot experience (even with the 'new' Luna Park)

[ethelmalley]

@LunaOnEarth the footage is all from the library of congress. it would have been wonderful to experience the spectacle that was coney island at the turn of the previous century. thanks much for watching!

[TatevossianA]

Every single person in the video is now dead. That's always an eerie thought that comes to mind, whilst watching very early film-footage such as this.