Coney & Manhattan, 1940s

From the Captain Johnson Collection, this 1940s home movie captures Coney Island’s bustling boardwalk and a couple, with a man getting his shoes shined (underexposed, needing a new transfer). It follows with drives along the Gowanus Expressway in South Brooklyn, over the Manhattan Bridge, and a shaky POV under the Third Avenue El on the Bowery. The reel ends at the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in the Bronx, blending seaside fun with gritty NYC streets in faded color or black-and-white.