Feltmans’ Restaurant, founded by Charles Feltman (1841-1910) was a Coney Island institution for over a century. At its height of popularity, it stretched along West 10th Street from Surf Avenue to the shore. Feltman’s restaurant had a modest start, but found success quickly, in no small part due to Feltman’s unique invention – the hot dog. Legend has it that Feltman first put a sausage inside a sliced roll as a way to provide beachgoers with a hot meal that could be served from his cart. People loved the hot dog and by the early 1900s Feltman was the proprietor of nine restaurants, a roller coaster, a carousel, a ballroom, an outdoor movie theater, a hotel, and more. Pictured here is a placemat from Feltman’s Coney Island, declaring the restaurant to be “Caterers to the Millions.” This was no exaggeration. By the 1920s Feltman’s Ocean Pavilion was serving five million customers a year and was billed as the world’s largest restaurant.

Charles M. Higgins (1854-1929) is credited as the creator of “Higgins’ American India Ink,” which was, at one time, the most famous brand of ink in the world. Pictured above is a glass bottle that once held the famous formula. Higgins invented his India ink and the also popular “Eternal Black Ink” while experimenting with inks in his sister’s kitchen. The original Higgins’ Ink Company, founded in 1880, was on Eighth Street in Brooklyn, not far from Green-Wood.

Edward Ferrero (1831-1899) served as a Union General in The Civil War, but his performances on the dance floor far outshone his military career. Although marred by accusations of misconduct in the U.S. military, Ferrero was universally revered in the world of dance. Ferrero earned a reputation as an expert choreographer and dance instructor. He operated Apollo Hall ballroom, the precursor of NYC’s Apollo Theater. In the years before the war, Ferrero published The Art of Dancing, a tome which remains important today for researchers of mid-nineteenth century dance.

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) achieved worldwide acclaim as a composer, conductor, pianist and music educator. Bernstein is pictured here doing what he did best: composing at the piano. His artistic virtuosity is credited with bringing a new respect to American music, bridging the gap between the classics and popular music of the 20th century. Bernstein scored West Side Story, which was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Premiering on Broadway in 1957 with a film adaptation released in 1961, this beloved score epitomized the eclectic theatrical style that set Bernstein apart from his contemporaries.

Peter Cooper (1791-1883) may have chosen Green-Wood as his final resting place, but his legacy lives on throughout New York City especially in Manhattan’s Cooper Square, home to The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science. Established in 1859, Cooper Union was founded upon Cooper’s belief that opportunities for advancement should be available to all people. Cooper Union offered free practical education in the mechanical arts and science from 1859 through the 2013-14 academic year. The school now charges students approximately $19,000 in annual tuition. Cooper also built America’s first steam locomotive and supervised the laying of the first Trans-Atlantic cable in 1858.

Standing at the center of Green-Wood’s Bay Side Dell is a bronze monument to one of the most illustrious New Yorkers of the nineteenth century – DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828). As a New York City Mayor, New York State Governor and the visionary behind the Erie Canal, Clinton was one of the most popular statesmen of the 19th century. In 1850, Green-Wood arranged to have Clinton’s remains removed from the Little Albany Cemetery and brought to Green-Wood, where an impressive monument would mark his new home. It was a successful marketing tool to bring attention to Green-Wood during its strained early years. The bronze sculpture by Henry Kirke Brown was debuted in City Hall Park in 1853 and made the front page of New York’s Illustrated News on June 4 of that year.

The “Beau Brownie” box camera, pictured above, is one of many products designed by Walter Dorwin Teague for the Eastman Kodak camera company. A pioneer of industrial design in the United States, Teague brought his unique conceptual approach to a variety of special edition cameras for Eastman Kodak during the 1920s and 1930s. Teague believed that even simple household products should have a modern visual appeal. His designs, like that of the “Beau Brownie,” were often characterized by bright colors and art deco patterns. Teague’s restyling of consumer goods was a bold approach that helped to change the course of product design in the 20th century.

The P. Lorillard Tobacco Company, now known as Lorillard Inc., it is the oldest continuously operating tobacco company in the United States. Founded in 1760, the company greatly expanded over the second half of the 19th century under the leadership of Pierre Lorillard IV (1833-1901). The most popular tobacco products Lorillard manufactured were pipe tobacco, cigars, snuff, and chewing tobacco. “Tiger” Brand chewing tobacco was particularly popular during the late 19th century, marketed in colored tins with a faux wicker print and its iconic tiger logo.

Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887), or “The Great Divine,” was a man of many talents – clergyman, orator, writer, social reformer. Simply put, he was as close to a celebrity as you could find in the nineteenth century. He was an ardent abolitionist and a proponent of both the temperance and women’s suffrage movements. Every week, Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights was filled to capacity with people eager to hear his captivating words. Beecher’s sermons were also published weekly under the title “Plymouth Pulpit.” This particular pamphlet, “The Nature of Liberty,” is indicative of Beecher’s religious philosophy emphasizing God’s absolute love. He speaks of a free religious condition as “a transfer from a life compelled by fear, through conscience, to a life that is inspired and made spontaneous by love.”

Vestie Davis (1903-1978) was a folk artist best known for his spirited paintings of New York City. Coney Island Boardwalk (1964), pictured above, is exemplary of Davis’s paintings. Although untrained in the arts, Davis managed to capture the rich and diverse scenery of the city, from one-of-a-kind landmark buildings and city centers to lively parks and beaches. Originally from Baltimore, Davis moved to New York City in 1928 and was immediately fascinated by its distinct architecture and culture. His artistic vision was to preserve the City that he loved in the face of a changing world. His style emphasized harmony and civility within the city’s social hubs while making use of bright colors and simple lines. Vestie Davis had a unique artistic career and did not begin painting regularly until he was in his forties. He was never trained in art, but rather spent his early years working as a circus barker, a newsstand manager, and an undertaker.

William S. Mangels (1866-1958), inventor and entrepreneur, brought life to Brooklyn’s Coney Island with his innovative amusement ride designs. Founder of the W.F. Mangels Company in the 1880s, Mangels designed over thirty nine amusement rides and other devices over the course of his career, some of which are still in use. The postcard pictured above depicts the rotating cars of “The Whip,” a popular Coney Island ride. Mangels is also credited with introducing the now standard up-and-down “galloping” motion of carousel horses and some of the first “kiddie” rides, designed especially for children.

On the evening of December 5, 1876 a fire broke out in the popular Brooklyn Theatre of Downtown Brooklyn (located at today’s Cadman Plaza, north of the New York Supreme Court Building in a tree-covered area). The fire began backstage and spread rapidly. Within half an hour the structure collapsed. At least 278 individuals lost their lives that night. 103 unidentified victims were buried in a common grave at Green-Wood.

George C. Tilyou (1862-1914) founded Coney Island’s Steeplechase Park, a leading attraction of its day and one of the most popular early amusement parks. Known as “The Funny Place,” the park featured its namesake horseracing ride, plus a swimming pool, carousel, Ferris wheel, and large indoor pavilion. The admission tickets shown above lists six rides for 50 cents, and they feature the iconic grinning face associated with Coney Island.