Charles Looff
Charles Looff was one of Coney Island’s original carousel artists. In 1870, at the age of 18, Charles Looff came to New York from Germany. He worked as a woodcarver in a Brooklyn furniture store. In the evenings he spent time carving wooden animals. Eventually, these were painted and erected at Coney Island — the famous seaside resort’s first carrousel. It opened in 1876 and was a great success.