The Almost Island

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The Almost Island is a coloring book exploring the forgotten histories of Hunter’s Point South in Queens, NY from the perspective of the land itself; a transformation from salt marsh to bustling transportation hub, from rewilded forest to luxury housing development. In an 1882 historical account of Queens County*, Hunter’s Point is described as “almost an island, bounded on the north by a ditch on the salt meadow, to the south by Newtown Creek, and west by the East River.” During high tide a small island emerged where sea captain George Hunter once maintained an active homestead. As the tidal waters receded, oyster reefs and rock edifice revealed. Although the land has undergone a number of transformations it still remains almost an island connected to the East River’s tidal pulse and daily estuarial flow. *History of Queens County by W. W. Munsell, 1882, pp. 258-328