Photographs often hold mysteries and memories of our past. In this vivid and captivating new photographic history, readers are transported back to an exciting time, when the town of Gravesend, Brooklyn was one of the six original towns later to become part of the great City of Brooklyn. Originally an isolated English-speaking community amidst many other Dutch areas in the region, Gravesend developed into a thriving seaside resort, with Coney Island becoming the "playground of the world," and Sheepshead Bay an important fishing community with fabulous places to dine and enjoy the fruits of the sea.

Gravesend, Brooklyn: Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay is a virtual time machine to an era of excitement, progress, and corruption. The over 200 images presented, from private collections of Eric Ierardi and the Gravesend Historical Society, span the days of political "boss" John Y. McKane, who single-handedly "delivered" the last deciding votes ushering in President Benjamin Harrison in 1888, to the heyday of Gravesend's three major racetracks, plentiful resort hotels, and amusement parks. This collection is sure to evoke lively memories for the old and inspire a sense of place and history for the young.