Coney Island always warrants at least a few visits during the summer and one fortuitous day in 1985, while I was exiting one of the junk shops along Surf Avenue, I encountered a scattered group of whimsically costumed people collectively known as the Mermaid Parade. For over ten years I have documented the early days of this event (and on occasion participated, happily winning a medal in 1989).
Today, though I continue to visit and photograph my beloved Coney Island, because both the parade and the people documenting it have grown to vast proportions, in that regard I decided to move on.
All images are gelatin silver prints, often hand-colored with pencil.
All images are gelatin silver prints, often hand-colored with pencil.