Frederick Fried Coney Island collection, 1847-2001

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Series III: Personal Papers and Ephemera, 1870-2000, undated

This series contains the personal papers, research files, and collected ephemera of Frederick Fried, all of which relates to his personal interest in the history of the amusements industry and Coney Island (Brooklyn, New York). Much of this material originally belonged to William F. Mangels and was subsequently purchased by Fried in 1955. Items include clippings, photographs, manuscripts, research files, correspondence, deeds of sale, business records, official reports, postcards, ticket stubs, and other ephemera. Researchers are advised that this series maintains its original order and related items may be founded in multiple boxes, folders, and volumes.

Subseries III.1: Coney Island History Papers, 1870-2000, undated

This series contains the personal papers, research files, photographs, and collected ephemera of Frederick Fried, all of which relates to his personal interest in the history of the amusements industry and Coney Island (Brooklyn, New York). Much of this material originally belonged to William F. Mangels and was subsequently purchased by Fried in 1955. Items of especial interest include the typed manuscript and research files compiled by William F. Mangels for his book, The Outdoor Amusement Industry from Earliest Times to the Present (1952); a manuscript of "A New Era for Coney Island" by William F. Mangels; and newspaper clippings, research files, and notes by Mangels for an unpublished history of Coney Island. This series also includes business records for the W.F. Mangels Company, including catalogs and stock certificates. Other material consists of William F. Mangels' personal seasonal passes to Palisades Amusement Park (Fort Lee, New Jersey) and other amusement parks, and, in addition, a guest book from the American Museum of Public Recreation for the years 1939-1940 with celebrity autographs from Greta Garbo, Reginald Marsh, Orson Welles, and other luminaries. This series also contains a small, discrete collection of photographs of pleasure railroads and other rides manufactured by the L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway Company, as well as photographic portraits of individuals from Coney Island's amusements industry, such as members of the Thompson and Tilyou families, Samuel W. Gumpertz, and others. This series also contains correspondence, receipts, and other materials that detail the closing of Coney Island landmarks and Frederick Fried's subsequent acquisition of artifacts and ephemera. Examples include receipts from the Tilyou Realty Company, a letter of authorization from Fred C. Trump, and a copy of the terms of sale of Feltman's of Coney Island, Incorporated. Lastly, researchers may also wish to consult Frederick Fried's "Coney Island Archive" collection report, which offers a comprehensive, descriptive inventory of each item in Frederick Fried's original collection of artifacts, photographs, and ephemera, as well as information about the provenance of select material—a remarkable resource.

Request Box 12

Box 12 Folder 1-2 "Historical Review of Outdoor Amusement Industry" by William F. Mangels,, 1952

Cover and typed manuscript of William F. Mangels,The Outdoor Amusement Industry from Earliest Times to the Present(New York: Vantage Press, 1952)

Correspondence and Research Files

Box 12 Folder 3 Letter from Lawrence Heyl, Jr. to Frederick Fried, undated

Box 12 Folder 3 William F. Mangels research correspondence, 1921-1943 undated, 1921-1943, undated

Box 12 Folder 3 Research notes regarding Thompson, Frederick, undated

Box 12 Folder 3 "Coney Island in the Nineties" by William F. Mangels, undated

Box 12 Folder 4 Feltman's Coney Island clipping file, 1914-1915 undated, 1914-1915, undated

(Clippings from various New York and Brooklyn newspapers regarding the establishment Feltman's Coney Island (Brooklyn, New York), unbound from an unknown volume.)

Box 12 Folder 5 "The Carousels of Coney Island" by Roland Summit, 1970

Box 12 Folder 6 H. Takemura & Company calendar, 1939

Box 12 Folder 6 Photographs and clippings, undated

Box 12 Folder 6 Correspondence regarding the Tilyou family, 1978

Box 12 Folder 6 Hand-and typewritten notes, undated

Box 12 Folder 6 Manuscript of "A New Era for Coney Island" by William F. Mangels, undated

William F. Mangels Papers, 1908-1955 undated, 1908-1955, undated

Box 12 Folder 7 Photograph of the interior of main pavilion, Centennial Exhibition

Box 12 Folder 7 Correspondence with Leonard Schloss, 1939

(subjects include Frederick W. Pearce & Company, Inc., Glen Echo Park, and Gumpertz, Samuel W.)

Box 12 Folder 7 Testimony of Charles N. Brewster regarding the valuation of the W.F. Mangels Company,, 1908

Box 12 Folder 7 Photographic prints of design drawings by William F. Mangels, undated

(subjects include the cake walk, funny stairs, the "Galloping Horse Carousell," Hoopla, and roller coaster cars)

Box 12 Folder 7 Typewritten labels of the "portrait gallery" and other exhibits on display in the American Museum of Public Recreation (Brooklyn, New York),, undated

Box 12 Folder 7 Certificate of corporate banking resolutions and bank account agreement, W.F. Mangels Company,, 1955

Box 12 Folder 7 Publications and catalogs, 1914-1932 undated, 1914-1932, undated

(includes catalogs and product specifications issued by the W.F. Mangels Company)

Box 12 Folder 7 Postcards, undated

Box 12 Folder 7 Printed scan of W.F. Mangels design for mini-rail, undated

Box 12 Folder 7 Empty envelope from William T. Hurley addressed to W.F. Mangels, 1949

Box 12 Folder 8 Stock certificates for the W.F. Mangels Company (seven items), 1908

Box 12 Folder 8 Stock certificate for Coney Island Carnival Company, 1919

Box 12 Folder 9 Brooklyn Municipal Documents, 1911-1912

Frederick Fried and Estate of Frederick Fried papers, 1952-2000

Box 12 Folder 10 Lending agreement between the Estate of Frederick Fried (Rachel Fried), Michael Immerso, and Patricia Semmel,, 2000

Box 12 Folder 10 Receipts of purchase between Frederick Fried and Steeplechase Park/Tilyou Realty Company,, 1965-1966

Box 12 Folder 10 Written authorization from Fred C. Trump, 1966

Box 12 Folder 10 Terms of sale, Feltman's of Coney Island, Incorporated, 1952

Box 12 Folder 10 Engraving, "La Maisson,", undated

Box 12 Folder 10 Real estate survey of parcels in Coney Island, 1965

Box 12 Folder 10 Department of Parks, City of New York; The Improvement of Coney Island, Rockaway, and South Beaches (City of New York: New York: 1937)

Ephemera, 1881-1964 undated, 1881-1964, undated

Request Box 13

Box 13 Folder 1 Two business cards for Melville Langhans, undated

Tickets and passes, 1893-1964 undated, 1893-1964, undated

Box 13 Folder 1 12-ticket pass to Steeplechase Park (Coney Island, Brooklyn), undated

Box 13 Folder 1 William F. Mangels' season passes for Schenck Brothers Palisades Amusement Park (Fort Lee, New Jersey), 1912 1917 1919-1924 1931 1938, 1912, 1917, 1919-1924, 1931, 1938

Box 13 Folder 1 Frederick Fried's press pass for Astroland, 1964

Box 13 Folder 1 Season passes for Dreamland Park (Coney Island, Brooklyn), 1929-1930

Box 13 Folder 1 Ticket to the Gravesend Hook and Ladder Company social (Gravesend, Long Island),, 1893

Box 13 Folder 1 Two photographic prints labeled "Roi du Rome" and "Princesses de Galles",, undated

Box 13 Folder 1 One photographic print of a rowboat in an unidentified location, undated

Box 13 Folder 1 Postcards depicting Auburn, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; Ticonderoga, New York; and Youngstown, Ohio,, 1907-1927

Box 13 Folder 1 Photographic postcard of "Fighting Flames" amusement at Dreamland (Coney Island, Brooklyn),, undated

Box 13 Folder 2 Photographic postcard of the entrance to Dreamland (Coney Island, Brooklyn),, undated

Box 13 Folder 2 Clipping of "Milch [sic] Cows" pasted to board, undated

Pamphlets, Brochures and Programs, 1881-1907 undated, 1881-1907, undated

Box 13 Folder 2 Pamphlet, Souvenir of Thompson's Patent Scenic Rail Road Midwinter Fair (San Francisco, California), undated [water damaged, half of back cover missing], undated

Box 13 Folder 2 Louis Glaser's Souvenir Album of Coney Island(New York: Wittemann Brothers, 1881) [pages detached]

Box 13 Folder 2 Annual report booklet, L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway Company of New York,, 1902

Box 13 Folder 2 Coney Island and Brooklyn, New York, Illustrated, undated [circa 1905 ?], undated, 1905

Box 13 Folder 2 Official program, Coney Island Jockey Club, 1899

Box 13 Folder 2 Official program, Brooklyn Jockey Club, September 17, 1907

Box 13 Folder 2 Official program, Brooklyn Jockey Club, September 24, 1907

Box 13 Folder 2 Official program, Metropolitan Jockey Club, October 22, 1907

Advertisements and miscellaneous, 1879-1905 undated, 1879-1905, undated

Box 13 Folder 3 Chromolithograph flyer Beautiful Steeplechase Island (Bridgeport, Connecticut), 1905

Box 13 Folder 3 Frash & Company's champagne pavilion (West Brighton Beach, New York),, 1879

Box 13 Folder 3 Book cover for Hildegarde Hoyt Swift's North Star Shining: A Pictorial History of the American Negro, illustrated by Lyn Ward, undated

Box 13 Folder 3 Two empty envelopes addressed to William F. Mangels and Frederick Fried

Advertisements and miscellaneous, 1879-1905 undated, 1879-1905, undated

Box 13 Folder 3 Chromolithograph flyer Beautiful Steeplechase Island (Bridgeport, Connecticut), 1905

Box 13 Folder 3 Frash & Company's champagne pavilion (West Brighton Beach, New York),, 1879

Box 13 Folder 3 Book cover for Hildegarde Hoyt Swift's North Star Shining: A Pictorial History of the American Negro, illustrated by Lyn Ward, undated

Box 13 Folder 3 Two empty envelopes addressed to William F. Mangels and Frederick Fried

Box 13 Folder 5 Sales correspondence regarding Columbia Gardens Amusement Park (Butte, Montana),, 1915-1930

Visual material file, 1903-1975 undated, 1903-1975, undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Photographic negative of Feltman's carousel dismantled, 1966

Box 13 Folder 6 Aerial photograph of Coney Island, 1903

Box 13 Folder 6 Envelope labeled "Mr. Mangels' picture of building design," undated [empty], undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Design for a mechanical horse, ink on paper, undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Photograph of Ocean Parkway Baths, undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Photograph of bathing pavilion, exterior, undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Photograph of swing ride ["from William F. Mangels' files,"], undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Four photographs of a Mangels/Illions carousel owned by Carol and Harry Koch, King Reid Shows (Essex Junction, Vermont),, 1975

Box 13 Folder 6 Photograph of cake presented to Borough President Riegelman in honor of the first anniversary of the boardwalk,, 1924

Box 13 Folder 6 Photograph of the entrance to Steeplechase Park, undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Photographs and clippings of individuals:

Box 13 Folder 6 Gabriel, Carl, undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Haase, Hugo, undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Kennedy, W.T., undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Mangels, William F., undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Ruprecht, Joseph, undated

Box 13 Folder 6 Thompson, Frederick W., undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Booman, H., undated

Box 13 Folder 7 "Bradwell,", undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Brewster, James W., 1914

Box 13 Folder 7 Browning, Charles, undated

Box 13 Folder 7 "Cagney,", undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Custer, L. Luzerne, 1934

Box 13 Folder 7 Earisher, Frederick, undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Hagenhech, Carl, undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Humphrey, D.S., undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Maxim, Hiram, undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Peterson, William J., undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Stock, John J., undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Strickler, William H., 1930

Box 13 Folder 7 Thompson, Frederick W., undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Tilyou, Edward C., undated

Box 13 Folder 7 Van Kannel, Theophilus, undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Gumpertz, S.W.

Box 13 Folder 8 Reynold, H.

Box 13 Folder 8 Unidentified man, undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Coney Island, general view with observation tower, undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Dreamland, undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Feltman's Garden (Coney Island, Brooklyn), undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Glaciers, The, undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Shoot-the-Chutes, Sea Lion Park (Coney Island, Brooklyn), 1897 [copy print], 1897

Box 13 Folder 8 Steeplechase Park (Coney Island), carved lions in situ, undated

Material related to the L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway Company:

Box 13 Folder 8 "Columbus" amusement, undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Delano Gardens, projected view (Saint Louis, Missouri), 1902

Box 13 Folder 8 Flying Dip Scenic Railway (Venice, California), undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Idora Park (Oakland, California), undated

Box 13 Folder 8 L.A. Thompson Racer (Atlantic City, New Jersey), 1916

Box 13 Folder 8 Over the Rockies (Providence, Rhode Island), 1908

Box 13 Folder 8 Pike's Peak Railway and Rapids (Coney Island, Brooklyn), 1903

Box 13 Folder 8 "Razzle-Dazzle, The," by H.M. Pettit, 1908

Box 13 Folder 8 Scenic Railway, (Santa Cruz, California), undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Scenic Railway (Seattle, Washington), 1909

Box 13 Folder 8 Shoot-the-Chutes in Fairyland, undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Tacoma Exposition (Tacoma, Washington), undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Thompson Park (Rockaway Beach), undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Unidentified pavilion, undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Unidentified ride, (Venice, California), undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Unidentified ride, "Woodside,", 1912 undated

Box 13 Folder 8 Unidentified park (possible English), undated [in two pieces, affixed to L.A. Thompson letterhead], undated

Box 13 Folder 9 Guest book, American Museum of Public Recreation, 1939-1940

(Includes celebrity autographs from Great Garbo, Heddy Lamar, Reginald Marsh, Orson, Welles, and other luminaries)

Box 13 Folder 10 Frederick Fried's "Coney Island Archive" collection report, 1972-1993 undated, 1972-1993, undated

(The report offers a comprehensive, descriptive inventory of each item in Frederick Fried's original collection of architectural salvage, artifacts, advertising, photographs, postcards, and ephemera, as well as information about the provenance and history of select material. In 1993 Fried updated the inventory in pencil after a fire destroyed the Vermont barn that housed many of the collection's large artifacts and sculpture. The volume also includes Fried's typed and handwritten notes regarding the history of Coney Island's various attractions.)

Negatives and Transparencies, circa, 1964 undated

Box 13 Folder 11 Photographs of Hiram Maxim and Theophilus Van Kannell, undated (Photographic prints in Box 13, Folder 7) [Materials smell slightly of vinegar syndrome], undated

Box 13 Folder 11 Painting of Steeplechase Park at the Museum of the City of New York,, undated

Box 13 Folder 11 Carousel sleigh, undated

Box 13 Folder 11 Demolition of Steeplechase Park, circa, 1964 undated

Subseries III.2: Oversized Volumes, 1880-1976, undated

This subseries contains items collected by Frederick Fried related to his personal interest in the history of the amusements industry and Coney Island (Brooklyn, New York). Much of this material originally belonged to William F. Mangels and was subsequently purchased by Fried in 1955. Among the items in this subseries are several volumes associated with the W.F. Mangels Company, including a minute book (1908-1959) with certificates of incorporation, company bylaws, and minutes for meetings of the board of directors. Of special note to researchers interested in carousel manufacture and design will be the company's ledger book, which contains a detailed record of the firm's client and sales for the period 1908-1915. In addition, five volumes of scrapbooks compiled by Mangels collect articles, clippings, and other ephemera that richly detail the biographies of Coney Island personalities, the history of the amusements industry in Brooklyn, and the programming and collection of the American Museum of Public Recreation. Lastly, this series also contains a scrapbook of material collected by Frederick Fried about Steeplechase Park.

Request Box 14

Box 14 Folder 1 Steeplechase Park Scrapbook, 1973-1976 undated, 1973-1976, undated

(Scrapbook containing clippings, correspondence, photographs, and pricing information for party rentals at Steeplechase Park, Coney Island. Item is covered in faux alligator skin and has an attached metal fob decorated with a crest and the words "Coney Island.")

Box 14 Folder 2 Minute Book, W.F.Mangels Company, 1908-1959

(Contains certificates of incorporation, company bylaws, and minutes for meetings of the board of directors for the W.F. Mangels Company.)

Request Box 15

Box 15 Ledger Book, W.F. Mangels and Company, 1908-1916

(Contains a detailed record of the firm's clients and sales for the dates 1908-1916 inclusive.)

William F. Mangels scrapbooks

Request Box 28

Box 28 Volume 1, Correspondence and clippings, 1880-1965 undated, 1880-1965, undated

Box 28 [Unidentified volume], Correspondence book, 1934-1950 undated, 1934-1950

Request Box 29

Box 29 [Unidentified volume], Coney Island scrapbook, 1886-1941 undated, 1886-1941, undated

Box 29 "Coney Island Clippings, New and Old," 1908-1943 undated, 1908-1943, undated

Box 29 "Coney Island, Mangel's [sic] Museum Publicity," 1884-1939 undated., 1884-1939

( In addition to newspaper and publicity clippings, photographs, and other ephemera, this volume includes one folder of historic maps of Coney Island and Gravesend Bay, as well as two renderings of architectural designs for the American Museum of Public Recreation by architects Peter F. Meyer and Edward Schoeppe, undated. )

Subseries III.3: Sheet Music and Miscellaneous Ephemera, 1896-1935, undated

This subseries contains items collected by Frederick Fried related to his personal interest in the history of the amusements industry and Coney Island (Brooklyn, New York). This subseries contains sheet music and sheet music covers for songs whose titles or lyrics refer to Coney Island subjects, such as amusement rides, amusement parks, the boardwalk, and promenading. The subseries also includes other miscellaneous ephemera collected by Frederick Fried, such as two illustrated magazine covers that depict scenes from Coney Island, advertisements for Thomas Edison's "Electricity Is Life," and artwork by an unknown artist that depicts two kneeling couples.

Request Box 25

Box 25 Folder 10 Illustration of two kneeling [matrimonial?] couples, undated

Box 25 Folder 10 Advertisement, Thomas Edison, "Electricity Is Life,", undated

Sheet Music

Box 25 Folder 11 Afloat on a Five Dollar Note (Arthur J. Lamb and J. Fred Helf), 1906

Box 25 Folder 11 Bamboo Slide Characteristic Marchand Two-Step (Fred A. Cruscaden),, 1905

Box 25 Folder 11 Bathing Lesson, The (Joseph Hart), 1902

Box 25 Folder 11 Belle of the Beach, The (Kurt P. Hirsekorn), 1903

Box 25 Folder 11 By the Beautiful Sea (Harold R. Atteridge and Harry Carroll), 1914

Box 25 Folder 11 Coney Island, featured in the motion picture Cain and Mabel (Al Dubin and Harry Warren), 1935

Box 25 Folder 11 Coney Island Washboard (Ned Nestor, Claude Shugart; Hampton Durand and Jerry Adams),, 1926

Box 25 Folder 12 Dreamland Waltz (Loula A. Gates), 1905

Box 25 Folder 12 Dreamland Waltzes (William Christopher O'Hare), 1909

Box 25 Folder 12 Just Take Me Down to Wonderland MarchSong (Thos. S. Allen), 1907

Box 25 Folder 12 Luna Park March(J.I. Alexander), 1907

Box 25 Folder 12 Luna Pastimes Marchand Two-Step (Manuel Klein), 1906

Box 25 Folder 12 Mariutch Down at Coney Isle (Harry Von Tilzer), 1906

Box 25 Folder 12 Mariutch Down at Coney Isle (Make a Little Hootch-A Ma Kootch) (Andrew B. Sterling and Harry Von Tilzer),, 1907

Box 25 Folder 12 Meet Me Down at Coney Island (Frank Rosenberg and Thomas Dinehart),, 1910

Box 25 Folder 12 My Little Coney Isle (Andrew B. Sterling and Harry Von Tilzer), 1902

Box 25 Folder 12 My Little Coney Isle (Harry Von Tilzer), 1903

Box 25 Folder 13 New York Cycle MarchTwo-Step (E.T. Paull), 1896

Box 25 Folder 13 On an Island Surrounded by Girls (Jeff Branen and Arthur Lange), 1916

Box 25 Folder 13 On the Boardwalk (Dick Richards and Newton B. Heims), 1912

Box 25 Folder 13 On the Pier at Dreamland (Edgar Malone and Ted S. Barron), 1906

Box 25 Folder 13 Rock-Rock-Rock, Let Me Rock in My Old Rocking Chair (George Spink),, 1907

Box 25 Folder 13 Sweetheart Won't You Come with Me to Dreamland? (Clarence Manning),, 1908

Box 25 Folder 13 Take Her Down to Coney Isle and Giver Her the Air (Ed Rose, George Whiting, and Lew Pollack),, 1919

Box 25 Folder 13 Take Me Where I Can Shout (Raymond A. Browne and William H. Penn),, 1910

Box 25 Folder 13 Vanity Fair Waltz Song (Stella May hew), 1906

Box 25 Folder 13 Where Do We Go from Here (Geo. Whiting and Ted Snyder), 1908

Box 25 Folder 13 Wonderland Waltz Song (Thos. S. Allen), 1906

Box 25 Folder 13 You're the Best Little Girl in Dreamland (Ed. Gardenier and Sam Goldie),, 1904

Miscellaneous Covers, 1909-1924 undated, 1909-1924, undated

Box 25 Folder 14 Billboard, The (March20, 1909)

Box 25 Folder 14 Boardwalk Illustrated (Autumn 1924)

Box 25 Folder 14 Thomas A. Edison Electricity Is Life: Mild Current Good for the Nerves, Cures the Headache, undated

Collection Overview

Collection Contents

Frederick Fried Coney Island collection, 1847-2001

Series III: Personal Papers and Ephemera, 1870-2000, undated

Subseries III.1: Coney Island History Papers, 1870-2000, undated

Subseries III.2: Oversized Volumes, 1880-1976, undated

Subseries III.3: Sheet Music and Miscellaneous Ephemera, 1896-1935, undated