6 BLOCKS OF PARADISE: or THE PLACE OF WONDERFUL CHARACTERS, is a celebration of the people that make up the unique character of Coney Island. Raymond Adams was a house photographer at the Freak Show, and the Mermaid Parade. He photographed the Hot Dog Eating Contest, and swam with the Coney Island Polar Bear Club. The photographs span the decade from 2012 until roughly 2023.
The book is made up of nearly 200 photographs and 7 poems. The titles were painted by Marie Roberts, who painted all of the sideshow banners that hung outside the Freak Show for decades, and Philomena Marano who co-founded the Coney Island Hysterical Society in the 1980’s. The book was designed by Toshiya Masuda, who designed many of David LaChapelle’s books.