Couple at Coney Island

Coney Island became a getaway synonymous with freedom and escape from the societal restrictions of early twentieth-century life. Lovers flocked to the attraction to frolic and become lost amidst the crowds and displays that were much more daring than they.

Walker Evans photographed this couple from behind as they held each other and looked out over the water toward the famous central tower at Luna Park, one of the resort's amusement parks. The plunging back neckline of the woman's soft summer dress and her bare, tanned arms evoke collective memories of leisurely seaside idylls and hours spent in another's arms, doing nothing more than stealing moments to pause and dream and enjoy the long hot days of the season.