The Cyclone

Cyclone No. 2, 2005, 2005, 2008.035.2; Ron Meisel photographs, 2008.035; Brooklyn Historical Society.

It’s hard to believe summer is beginning to wind down—where did it go? When I look at this photograph, it speaks to my current state of wanting to get in as much summer fun as I can before fall rolls in. With that in mind, the photo of the week is a panoramic photograph of the Cyclone in Coney Island taken by Ron Meisel in 2005.

The Cyclone is one of Brooklyn’s most notable landmarks. It was built in 1927 by Harry C. Baker and Vernon Keenan. Before the Cyclone was built, the site was formerly the location for the first roller coaster in the United States, the Switchback Railway, built in 1884. Coney Island was in its heyday around the turn of the century, when it was the most popular amusement park in the world. The Cyclone is the last remaining attractions from that period and in 1991, it was listed on the New York Register of Historic Places.

This photograph of the Cyclone comes from Ron Meisel photographs. It is a panoramic photograph taken with a Hasselblad Xpan camera. Meisel is a Brooklyn based photographer represented by the Phyllis Stigliano Gallery in Park Slope. Check out this page for future exhibitions of his work.

Interested in seeing more photos from BHS’s collection? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images. Interested in seeing even more historic Brooklyn images? Visit our Brooklyn Visual Heritage website here. To search BHS’s entire collection of images, archives, maps, and special collections visit BHS’s Othmer Library Wed-Sat, 1:00-5:00 p.m. library@brooklynhistory.org