Dreamland: Coney Island 1905-1925
June 29 - August 19, 2006

Opening Event
Thursday June 29, 6-8pm

This summer, Ricco/Maresca Gallery will present original drawings, blueprints, and vintage photographs of New York City’s favorite amusement park, Coney Island. 

In its heyday, Coney Island encompassed three fabulous parks: Steeplechase, Luna Park, and Dreamland. The earliest park, Steeplechase, founded by Brooklyn entrepreneur George C. Tilyou, included an unprecedented array of amusements such as the world’s largest ferris wheel, and the famed Steeplechase Horses. Luna Park and Dreamland soon followed, with such attractions as “A Trip to the Moon” and “The Canals of Venice”. During the summer, the world traveled to enjoy the amusements of Coney Island alongside the revelries of luxury hotels, three racetracks, and most notoriously, the Bowery strip.

This collection of material, assembled by eminent historian Fredrich Fried, is the most comprehensive archive of Coney Island’s history. Highlights of the show include the original drawings for the Dreamland amusement park, blueprints of the W.F. Mangells carousel, and colorful renderings of the shooting gallery amusements. Never before has the collection exhibited publicly.