A 1913 postcard shows the grandeur of Luna Park.

Coney Island was nearing the end of its greatness as an amusement mecca in 1940 when this fun short film was made. Fires would soon destroy Luna Park and nothing would ever be the same again. But Coney’s decline would have occurred anyway. It became such a big deal because its blend of entertainment, science and social experiment was ahead of its time, as it began to grow into its amazing self in the years after the Civil War through the early twentieth-century.

Coney continued as the largest amusement-park area in America until the end of WWII. Then the rise of automobiles, air conditioning and the aggressive development of entertainments in Manhattan and other parts of the country diminished its efficacy. Large parts of the area are being redeveloped now, but it will just be a fun amusement park (not a bad thing) rather than its former visionary self.

For a tremendous look at its grand past, get your hands on Ric Burn’s wonderful documentary, Coney Island. For a quick look at the resort in the final stages of its glory days, watch this nine-minute video.

Other recent Videos:

• Balloon failure at Chicago’s World Fair. (1933)
• The hippie craft of “marbling.” (1970s)
• Fifteen-year-old guru tries to levitate the Astrodome. (1974)
• Edward Kienholz’s controversial L.A. art show. (1969)
• Timothy Leary interviewed at Folsom Prison. (1970s)