Before Disneyland, Six Flags and Sea World, there was Coney Island. With its long list of pleasures — the beach, the boardwalk, the roller coasters and the hot dogs — this strip of seashore at the foot of Brooklyn, N.Y., has provided affordable fun and amusement for millions of people for more than a century. And one person clearly enchanted by the oasis of fun is renowned photographer Harvey Stein, whose new book, Coney Island 40 Years, is full of colorful characters (such as the photo above) he’s encountered there over the past four decades. Stein spoke to LIFE.com about his collection of striking black-and-white pictures, sharing stories and personal insights into an “iconic American place.”

(via nancyalisha)