The Brooklyn College Library is going to be hosting a fascinating exhibit of of photos by writer and photographer Charles Denson called “Secrets of Coney Island Creek.” Mr. Denson is the noted author of Coney Island Lost and Found and the director of the Coney Island History Project. The Brooklyn College Library Show opens on Thursday, Oct. 18, and Mr. Denson will present remarks on the creek’s past and future.

Mr. Denson has been shooting photos the creek since the 1960s and 1970s when it was, in the words of the email he sent us, “at a low point, surrounded by industry and suffering from neglect and pollution. Since then, portions of the creek have
been reclaimed, drawing both wildlife and residents to its shores. The photographs in “Secrets of Coney Island Creek” document those early decades and offer a fascinating and comprehensive portrait of the creek today and its relationship to the Coney Island community, from the people of diverse cultures who visit the creek and its new parks to the environmental challenges that lie ahead.”

Like many challenged bodies of water locally–the Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek–the creek was originally a natural wetland environment, until industrial development in the 1800s.

The opening event is on Thursday, October 18 at 6PM at the Brooklyn College Library, which is located at 2900 Bedford Avenue. The show will run through November 2. Mr. Denson’s knowledge of and work documenting Coney Island are Brooklyn treasures. We’re certain his exhibition on Coney Island Creek will shine a light on a body of water about which there is little general knowledge. You can read more about the show over at the excellent blog, Green Brooklyn.