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The Coney Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society and Its Circle
The Coney Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society and Its Circle Author:Zoe Beloff, Norman Klein, Amy Herzog, Aaron Beebe On the afternoon of August 28th 1909 Sigmund Freud visited Coney Islands famous Dreamland amusement park. A hundred years later this, lively and imaginative book examines his legacy in Coney Island. It begins with Norman Kleins reconstruction of his actual visit. However Freuds real impact appears to have come later with the founding of the Cone... more »y Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society. Zoe Beloff conjures up the world of this unique Society, whose forward-thinking attitude flourished from1926 through the early 1970s. The Societys members, most of them working people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, wished to participate in one of the great intellectual movements of the 20th century. She explores their activities that included recreating their dreams on film and discusses the role of the societys visionary founder Albert Grass who attempted to rebuild Dreamland according to Freuds theory of dream formation. Aaron Beebe, director of the Coney Island Museum, writes how his institution is reviving the idea of the living museum, that dates back to the early 19th century where art, science, spectacle and speculation coexist under one roof. Amy Herzogs essay, Primal Scenes: Sigmund Freud, Coney Island, and the Staging of Domestic Trauma discusses how Freuds theories can give us a deeper understanding of the publics fascination with some of Coney Islands unique attractions that include Liliputia, Baby Incubators and the World In Wax Musée. The book is lavishly illustrated with 75 full color pictures of never before seen photographs, drawings and documents that shed new light on Coney Islands legendary history. Included with the book is a DVD compilation of nine of the Societys Dream Films .« less