Postcard: Beware The Sea Monster Of Gerritsen Beach

When moderators of “The History of Fort Tilden, Floyd Bennett Field, and Marine Park” Facebook page posted this photo a few weeks ago, it set me off on a long search of old newspaper archives and other databases for what they called the “Sea Monster of Gerritsen Beach.”

Nothing turned up, but Facebook readers did share photos of a Nessie lookalike that hung around the channel for a bit in 2007:

The story behind that one was a bit of an easier find than whatever was depicted in the undated postcard. According to GerritsenBeach.net:

Artist Cameron Gainer has staged a 12 1/2-foot replica of the mythical monster in the salt marsh off Marine Park.

… Nessie is one of 40 temporary art installation in “Art in the Parks” – the 40th anniversary celebration of the parks’ public arts programs.

Word is that this installation alarmed a bus driver on Avenue U so much so that he nearly flipped his bus.

But I’m still left wondering about the original postcard, and if there’s an older local legend I’m not aware of. Or maybe that’s just how Gerritsen Beach attracted tourism back in the day? Hey, it beats the whole “Come visit us on Halloween so we can throw hammers at you” shtick.