Nathan's Hot Whale

Q. I heard that the carcass of a whale was once on display in Coney Island. Why?

A. It was indeed, and it was put there to entice people to eat.

In 1954, Nathan Handwerker, founder of Nathan's Famous, the hot dog emporium on the Boardwalk, was vacationing in Miami Beach and had left the store under the watch of his son, Murray. The story of what happened next is told in the book ''Brooklyn: A State of Mind,'' edited by Michael W. Robbins (Workman, 2001).

Murray Handwerker, who was always looking for new ways to sell hot dogs, was approached by a man named Leif Saegaard, who had somehow come into possession of a dead finback whale. Mr. Saegaard proposed renting the embalmed remains of the creature, 75 feet long and 70 tons, to Nathan's for display in a vacant lot next door. The idea was that crowds lured to gape at the spectacle would want a dog and a soda to go with it.

The idea seemed reasonable enough. A deal was struck, and the remains of the whale were parked on a flatcar next to Nathan's. For a couple of days, the plan seemed to be working. The curious gathered to look at the giant corpse and, yes, some were inspired to buy a hot dog.