The Coney Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society and Its Circle

On the afternoon of August 28th, 1909, Sigmund Freud visited Coney Island’s famous Dreamland amusement park. A hundred years later, this lively, imaginative book examines his legacy in Coney Island, a history which might have been. It begins with Norman Klein’s reconstruction of his actual visit, though Freud’s real impact appears to have come later, with the founding of the Coney Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society. Zoe Beloff conjures up the world of this unique Society, which would have existed from 1926 through the early 1970s, exploring its activities (which included recreating dreams on film) and discussing its visionary founder, Albert Grass, who attempted to rebuild Dreamland according to Freud’s theory of dream formation. Aaron Beebe, former director of the Coney Island Museum, describes how this institution is reviving the idea of the living museum. Amy Herzog discusses how Freud’s theories provide a deeper understanding of the public’s fascination with Coney Island’s attractions. The book is illustrated with previously unseen photographs, drawings and documents.