Photographs of the former Half Moon Hotel on Coney Island
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Abstract
The Photographs of the former Half Moon Hotel on Coney Island consist of 21 8 x 10 inch black-and-white photographic prints showing exterior, interior, and detail views of what was originally the Half Moon Hotel. When the photographs were taken on April 10, 1991 by Li-Saltzman Architects, the building served as a nursing home. The photographs were taken as part of a mitigation plan on behalf of the owners of the building, the Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center.
Historical note
The Half Moon Hotel was designed by the architectural firm George B. Post & Sons and completed in 1927. It was located along the boardwalk on Coney Island between West 28th and West 29th Streets, purportedly near the spot where Henry Hudson landed. The 400 room hotel was designed in the Spanish Colonial style with a red brick and terra cotta facade, clay roof tiles, and ornamented with relief busts, medallions with ships on them, urns, and finials. The tallest part of the building was a 16-story curvilinear roofscape that housed the water tower, while its central section was 14 stories and was flanked by two 13-story sections, and two 11-story wings. Never quite attaining the popularity it strived for, the hotel was bought and repurposed as a hospital in 1949 and then converted into a nursing home by the Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center in 1954. During its conversion from hotel to hospital and nursing home, the interior of the building was substantially altered during the 1950s through the 1970s. Following the completion of a new building to house the Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center, the former Half Moon Hotel was demolished in 1996.
Sources:
- Gray, Christopher. "Streetscapes: The Half Moon Hotel; A Symbol of Coney Island Is About to Be eclipsed." New York Times, May 7, 1989. Accessed October 4, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/07/realestate/streetscapes-half-moon-hotel-symbol-coney-island-about-be-eclipsed.html
Scope and Contents
The Photographs of the former Half Moon Hotel on Coney Island consist of 21 8 x 10 inch black-and-white photographic prints showing exterior, interior, and detail views of what was originally the Half Moon Hotel. When the photographs were taken on April 10, 1991 by Li-Saltzman Architects, the building served as a nursing home. The photographs were taken as part of a mitigation plan on behalf of the owners of the building, the Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
Reproduction rights for the photographs have not been evaluated. For information on securing rights to publish or reproduce, please see the Brooklyn Historical Society Reproduction Rights Policy.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Photographs of the former Half Moon Hotel on Coney Island, V1991.074, Box number, Object ID number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center, 1991.
Other Finding Aids
Item level description and digital versions of images from the collection are available for searching via the image database in the library. Please consult library staff for more information.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Fully processed to the item level.
