Merry-Go-Round

A carousel has wooden horses, while a merry-go-round has different animals.

Well now I've said it! When I was a kid I never heard the word Carousel, let alone knew what one was. The ride in the park was the Merry-Go-Round. The trick was to run on the beach, hop over the half wall, jump on the and off it while it was moving preferably before you got caught. A nickel in those days bought a lot of candy.

European woodcarver Charles I.D. Looff is considered to be the first of the great American carousel manufacturers. His first ride was constructed in Coney Island. With its immediate success he went on to construct several others of which only a handful are still standing and operating.

He was a interesting character. It is said that Charles I.D. Looff, an immigrant to America as a young man , chose his middle initials when Ellis Island officials told Looff he had to have a middle name “for his I.D.” (or identification), so he chose “I.D.”.

Looff’s sense of humor and personality show in his hand-carved horses. Several of the horses display their teeth in open smiles; others are more serious, with a gentle demeanor and closed mouths.

Looff did a great deal of carving of the animals himself, using a picture of George Washington astride his favorite horse as his model. The horses were his pride and joy and now are highly prized by collectors.

Beach scene with Merry-G0-Round building in the background

1954