Weird Island

50. SUMMER MEMORIES: RI’s Historic Carousels

Episode Summary

Carousels are playful and whimsical, bright and colorful. They evoke memories of childhood and innocence. Here, in Rhode Island, they’re not only time capsules of happy summer moments, but museums of folk art from the golden age of the American carousel. To Visit: Looff Carousel | Crescent Park | 700 Bullocks Point Ave, Riverside, RI 02915 Looff Carousel | Slater Park | 825 Armistice Blvd, Pawtucket, RI 02861 Flying Horse Carousel | Westerly, RI 02891

Episode Notes

To Visit:

Looff Carousel | Crescent Park | 700 Bullocks Point Ave, Riverside, RI 02915

Looff Carousel | Slater Park | 825 Armistice Blvd, Pawtucket, RI 02861

Flying Horse Carousel | Westerly, RI 02891

Episode Source Material:

Episode Transcription

It was summertime, sometime around 1879 in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Today, the sprawling, mansion-like summer cottages of celebrities like Taylor Swift and Conan O’Brien dot the shoreline, but in the late 1800s, Watch Hill had only just begun to develop as a summer resort. The earliest cottages were being built, a couple of hotels had opened up, and a bathing beach with bath houses was established. And it was near this beach that a traveling carnival set up shop for a period of that summer. They may have brought with them trained animals and performers and they constructed a ride, with beautiful hand-carved horses complete with leather saddles and real horse-hair manes and tails. An early carousel, with no platform floor. Just a frame and 20 horses and a few chariots suspended by chains from beams radiating out from the center. As the ride came to life, powered by two men turning cranks, centrifugal force would drive the hanging horses outward, so it felt like riders were flying. It was the peak of entertainment in the summer resort town.
When the carnival packed up to move on to the next town, they left the carousel behind. No one really knows why. Maybe it was too big and bulky and fragile to bring with them. But the residents of Watch Hill took over for the carnival. They cared for the carousel and ran it. They adapted it for new power sources as the years changed, first updating it from man-power to horsepower. For years, a calico horse walked circles around the carousel, pulling a rope that brought it to life. He loved his job so much that in the winter he would escape the stable just to find his way back to the carousel to walk his circular, summer path. Then just before the turn of the century, the horse retired and water power ran the carousel. And then, in 1914 it was electrified.
When the Hurricane of 1938 hit Westerly, devastating the town, leaving 15 dead and 53 houses swept out to sea, the carousel roof was shattered. The beams that held up the horses had to be replaced. Three chariots were lost. But somehow the hand-carved horses were recovered, their noses poking out from the nearby sand dunes and the carousel was restored.
Today, this unique ride still runs. In fact, it’s considered to be the oldest continuously operating carousel in the United States. And it is the only surviving flying horse carousel in the country.
I’m Sara, and you’re listening to Weird Island. Each week, I’ll be telling you about the strangest stories I can dig up from my tiny, little state of Rhode Island. And this week, I’m going to be telling you about Rhode Island’s historic carousels–The Flying Horse Carousel in Watch Hill and the Looff Carousels at Crescent Park and Slater Park.
Carousels are playful and whimsical, bright and colorful. They evoke memories of childhood and innocence. And yet, the word carousel seems to have originated from words meaning “little battle” or “little war.” The carousels we’re familiar with today evolved from equestrian combat training and jousting traditions in Europe and the Middle East. As one article put it, the carousel was originally a training tool for death.
At first, this looked nothing like a carousel. The tradition began in the 12th century. Arabian and Turkish warriors would play a game that required great skill and horsemanship, preparing them for combat on horseback. This is what that would look like: They would gallop in a circle while tossing a clay ball filled with perfume between riders. Riders would have to control their horse with one hand and catch the ball with the other, which prepared them to ride and wield a weapon. The player who failed to catch the ball would smell like perfume for a week as a punishment.
Crusaders saw this training game and brought it back to Europe where it evolved and changed over time. A practice device was developed that would allow men to train without exhausting the prized and valuable horses. The device had a center pole with arms that extended out. And from these arms hung legless, crudely carved horses soldiers could ride on. Rather than tossing a perfume filled ball back and forth, soldiers practiced their lancing skills, spearing small rings hanging from poles overhead.
So, you’re probably starting to see the connection to the modern merry-go-round. Some carousels still include vestiges of this early jousting and combat tradition, in the form of the ring game. Where small metal rings are dangled just out of reach of riders circling around who hope to grab the coveted brass ring and win a repeat ride.
But where did the whimsy and color and boldness of carousels come from? Because, today, they’re these massive works of art and drama. Well, the French specifically took to the early carousel concept, and merged it with these elaborate and extravagant displays of horsemanship and finery that they also called carousels. These were essentially big royal horse ballets. The most celebrated of all was Le Grande Carrousel, planned by Louis XIV in 1662. Designers, wigmakers, seamstresses and artisans prepared for months for the lavish event that featured costumed horses and riders and big scenic displays. A key part of every carousel was this same ring piercing contest.
So, it all came together. The pageantry, the element of competition, the entertainment. And soon, the early training device evolved into an amusement ride that could be made available to everyone. By the early 1700s, carousels were being built and operated at various fairs and gatherings in central Europe and England. These were similar to the Flying Horse Carousel in Watch Hill, because they had no platforms. The horses and other carved animals would hang from chains and fly out from the centrifugal force of the spinning motion. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that the platform carousel had been developed. And around this same time, innovations to the method of powering carousels enabled them to really hit their golden age.
The earliest carousels were powered by men, or horses. There was a brief bicycle-powered period. And then in 1861, the first steam-powered carousel was built. And, finally, these massive machines really started to make sense. Because, before steam power, carousels and their horses had to be relatively small so that a man or animal could manage powering it. If you’ve been to the Watch Hill carousel, you know that today, only kids are allowed to ride it because the horses aren’t very big. That carousel is kind of an anomaly in the US, because it bears a closer resemblance to those early European carousels with its relatively small size and flying horses. It was one of the earliest carousels in the US, created around 1876 by one of the first American carousel manufacturers, the Charles W. F. Dare Company out of New York. Prior to that year, Dare actually primarily made toys, like rocking horses. And the horses on the Watch Hill Carousel are believed to have been carved as rocking horses and adapted to the amusement ride. Today, there are only two Dare carousels in the country, the one in Watch Hill and another on Martha’s Vineyard, so if carousels fascinate you, we’re located in a pretty cool spot to be able to check out a number of historic ones.
But Dare wasn’t the only or even the biggest name in American carousels. Right around the same time that the Dare company made the Flying Horse Carousels, another manufacturer stood on the precipice of success. His name was Charles I. D. Looff.
Looff was born in a Danish province that’s part of Germany today, and he learned woodworking from his father, who was a master blacksmith and wagon builder. He arrived in New York in 1870, and found work as a carver at a furniture factory. After working in the factory all day, he took scraps of wood home to his Brooklyn apartment and began carving them into carousel animals in his kitchen. Slowly, he gathered enough animals to assemble on a circular platform, until he had his very own merry-go-round. And he ended up installing this merry-go-round at a place called Lucy Vandeveer’s Bathing Pavilion in 1876. This would be a pretty monumental moment, because that bathing pavilion was part of Coney Island, and this carousel–it was the first amusement ride installed at the legendary park that would go on to become really the heart of the carousel industry. After that, Looff installed another one at a restaurant and beer garden owned by Charles Feltman, one of the key players in the popularization of the Coney Island Hot Dog. Seeing that he was having success, Looff opened up a factory in Brooklyn, and continued to build more and more carousels. As he did, his style started to evolve. What began as relatively sweet and simple horses, began to be more extravagant. More lively and colorful. More dynamic. Looff’s style intensified as Coney Island itself grew into the bright and eccentric carnival that drew several million visitors a year.
But Looff’s carousels weren’t confined to Coney Island. 200 or so miles away, in Rhode Island, Crescent Park was growing in popularity as well. Called the Coney Island of New England, the East Providence park attracted visitors from Providence and beyond who arrived via steamboats and train. And in the early days, the visitors would step off the steamboats and head right to the beach. Well, the owner of the park had an interest in getting people off the beaches and into his resort. So, he contacted Looff and asked him to create a carousel that would be placed at the head of the pier and draw people up and away from the water. Looff installed the park’s first carousel in 1892 on columns beside the pier. And it was a big success. Carousels weren’t yet seen as a ride for children. Everyone could enjoy the music as they circled around and around, grasping for rings, laughing, holding on to a loved one maybe a little bit closer than might have otherwise been acceptable.
In 1895, Looff built a second, larger carousel overlooking the midway at Crescent Park. And he also established Crescent Park as a regional manufacturing operation while still operating his Brooklyn business. But in 1905, his Brooklyn operation was condemned so the city could make the land into a park. And Looff moved his full operation to Rhode Island. He ran the business out of an unassuming wooden building attached to the larger carousel, and lived in a 6 room apartment above it. And it was at this time that Looff started embellishing the Crescent Park carousel to function as a showpiece for prospective buyers.
This is the carousel that still stands in its original location at Crescent Park today. And it’s considered one of the finest examples of American carousel art in the country. Since it functioned essentially as a show model where buyers could select the horses they wanted, there’s an incredible variety in horse designs. While a typical carousel would usually carry about five types of animals, with variation coming from color and decoration, this carousel has 62 unique horses, four chariots and a camel, all elaborately decorated and detailed. Most of the figures were carved between 1905 and 1910. Though there are actually a couple of figures that are even a little older.
As Looff advanced in his career, his style changed over time. His early horses were described as “simple, genial mounts with smiling mouths and broad, flattened muzzles. There were two poses, both somewhat rigid: a prancing posture with rear hooves anchored to the platform, and a jumping stance suspended entirely from the rod.” And a couple of the animals on this carousel were from that time–including a camel and a long, gray stationary horse standing beside one of the chariots.
But as time went on, Looff established what is now known as the Coney Island Style. These were flamboyant and highly stylized horses, “big, passionate animals with their ears pinned back, their nostrils flaring, their eyes wide and their tongues hanging out.” They were bright and colorful, embellished with faux jewels and cut glass mirrors. And this is the style he’s most remembered for. And the style that most influenced other American carousel carvers.
Most carousels have long histories of being moved from one park to another, and of alterations which have significantly changed their original character. But the Crescent Park carousel has remained in the same spot, with very few changes, since it was installed in 1895. Even the building around it, called a hippodrome, with its 14 sided, wood frame construction and multicolored windows that filter light in like a kaleidoscope was built by Looff. His operation wasn’t huge compared to some other carousel manufacturers, but that’s probably because Looff did much of the carving himself and closely supervised the work done by others. And it’s because of this that Looff is known today for his quality vs. quantity of work. Historians consider his carvings some of the most distinguished. And the Looff Carousel in Crescent Park is essentially a museum to his work.
But, the truth is, Loof didn’t stay in Rhode Island forever. And while this carousel is considered the best representation of his work today, it’s not even his largest legacy. Looff became enchanted with the possibilities for amusement parks on the West Coast, and in 1910 he picked up and headed for Long Beach, CA, leaving his children behind to run the carousel and other amusements at Crescent Park. He built a new carousel at Long Beach, and lived in an apartment directly above the ride.
It’s in California that Looff would bring to life his grandest vision yet and the crowning achievement of his career. The city of Santa Monica was only 24 years old and seeing a boom in population that required some quick infrastructure solutions. When the city faced a sewage problem, its answer was to construct a 1600 foot concrete pier to pipe waste out into the ocean, beyond where swimmers might be affected. Looff and his son Arthur saw an opportunity to turn the pier into an amusement park, akin to those that were flourishing on the East Coast, and in 1916 they built a hippodrome and a roller coaster and established the pier as an entertainment destination.
Looff also built and operated amusement parks and carousels at Ocean Park, Redondo Beach, Venice Beach, Santa Cruzand Griffith Park in LA before being diagnosed with cancer in 1918 and passing away later that year.
During his lifetime, Looff built over 40 carousels, several amusement parks, numerous roller coasters and ferris wheels and Santa Monica Pier in California. Today, only about 10-12 of Looff’s Carousels are still in operation. And two of them are here in Rhode Island. The masterpiece at Crescent Park, and another great example of his work at Slater Park that was built in 1895 as well and moved to RI in 1910. The Slater Park carousel has 44 horses, 3 dogs, a lion, a camel, a giraffe and two chariots. At one point, the Slater Park carousel was the fastest turntable ever built–operating at a dizzying 14 MPH. Though it’s been slowed to about 9 MPH today.
Both the Slater Park Carousel and the Crescent Park Carousel faced potential demolition before being saved in the ‘70s. Crescent Park closed in 1977, after a 93 year run. And with it, the carousel closed, too. In 1979, the property and all the rides were sold off at auction. Except, for the carousel. Five Riverside residents started a grass-roots effort to save the carousel, and after a long legal battle, they were able to preserve the incredible work of art and entertainment. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and reopened to the public in 1984. In 1987, it was proclaimed the State Jewel of American Folk Art.
During the golden age of the carousel, over 6K of all sizes and styles were built by a dozen different predominant manufacturers in the United States. Over the years, three major styles developed. The Coney Island Style, with those bold, expressive and stylized animals, pioneered by Charles Looff. The Philadelphia Style, which is known for its natural and realistic depictions of animals. And the Country Fair Style, which included simple and durable animals with flat years and outstretched legs that were easy to transport without breaking. There were a number of different influential manufacturers and carvers, many of whom were immigrants to the United States who brought a love of the carousel with them. Coney Island became a center for the carousel industry not only because it was the biggest amusement park in the country at the time, but also because many of those immigrants came into the country through New York.
The golden age of the carousel lasted from the 1870s until the Great Depression of the 1930s, when amusement parks and the economy in general saw a decline. It was then that many carousels were abandoned or dismantled for parts. During the 1970s, there was a renewed interest in carousels by collectors, but many of them purchased dismantled carousels in order to sell off the individual animals. So, somewhere in the range of 200 or so antique carousels still exist today across the country.
And they continue to serve not only as a source of entertainment, but also as an inspiration for many. A symbol of art and beauty, of innocence and childhood. They’re nostalgic, whimsical, and hopeful.
A Looff Carousel in Griffith Park helped inspire Walt Disney to build Disneyland, where today visitors can sit on the park bench where Disney sat and watched his daughters ride the carousel and day-dreamed about a new type of totally immersive theme park experience.
In Nederland, Colorado, a Vietnam veteran named Scott Harrison saved the frame of an old Looff carousel from going to a scrapyard and brought to life a vision of a twirling carousel that helped him get through the war. He filled it with over 50 one-of-a-kind animals that he hand carved following his service in the military, as he grappled with PTSD and looked for hope in the world around him. In 2010, he opened what he called the Carousel of Happiness with a silent memorial to recognize the service of fallen veterans. Though he started out creating the carousel for his own needs, after 25+ years of carving it and putting it together, he saw that it spoke to other people.
Today, you can still ride both the Slater Park and the Crescent Park Looff Carousels. And little ones can even ride the Flying Horse Carousel in Watch Hill. In Ray Bradbury’s novel Something Wicked This Way Comes, a carnival carousel can cause riders to become younger or older depending on the direction they ride, forwards or backwards. And while these carousels have no magical powers, they do seem to have a special ability to make anyone feel young and free.