The Cyclone

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

It’s hard to believe that there are only a few more weeks to savor summer. This photograph by Ron Meisel reminds me to make the most of the long summer nights before fall approaches. Taken in 2005, the photo of the week depicts the Cyclone rollercoaster at dusk in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The Cyclone is an iconic Brooklyn landmark. It was built in 1927 by Harry C. Baker and Vernon Keenan. In the mid-19^th century, Coney Island was a seaside getaway for the upper middle class. By the turn of the century, Coney Island was the most popular amusement park in the world, thanks in part to popular attractions (like the Cyclone) and the closeness of Coney Island for New Yorkers compared to farther away beaches. The Cyclone is the last remaining attraction from that period, and in 1991 it was listed on the New York City Register of Historic Places.

This photograph was taken using a Hasselblad Xpan camera and color negative film. The Xpan is a viewfinder camera that exposes a frame with dimensions of 24mm by 65mm that creates the panoramic effect. Ron Meisel is a Brooklyn-based photographer represented by the Phyllis Stigliano Gallery in Park Slope. Check out this page for more panoramic photographs of Coney Island.

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