Help Bring Mangels Carousell Home to Coney Island

By Lisa Mangels-Schaefer

Last month, when Governor Cuomo recommended that the B&B Carousell be granted landmark status, Coney Island devotees everywhere, myself included, were thrilled to see a much-needed spotlight shone on an often-overlooked piece of our history.

So I was very excited to recently discover an extremely rare “Children’s Delight” carousell being offered for sale. Built by Mangels, circa 1910, it features seven petite horses carved by Illions, mounted on a wagon, with a large crank that turns the platform.

Long considered the birthplace of “The Golden Age of Carousells”, only two carousells remain in Coney Island: the B&B, and the Kiddie Carousell in Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park. Sadly, most of the gilded and ornate creations of W.F. Mangels, Marcus Illions, Loof, Carmel, Stein and Goldstein have either been moved across the country, taken out of service, or stored away by private collectors.

One hundred years ago, small, portable amusements such as this would have been a familiar sight in the neighborhoods of New York. Amidst the tenements and bungalows, the immigrant population would have recalled enjoying similar traveling rides in the towns and cities of their former homelands. While certainly not the only manufacturer of this type of ride, Mangels offered his portable carousell, without the wagon or chassis (many of which were built by Marx Wagon Works), for the price of $500.00, and recommended charging “…two cents per ride.”

The celebrated historian Fred Fried purchased this particular carousell from the Mangels factory in the early 1960’s, only to sell again ten years later to The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection in Williamsburg, Virginia. It appears that the carousell saw no use or exhibition during that period and suffered under neglect. It was subsequently acquired by its current owner who, with his wife, dreamed of starting their own kiddie amusement park. They spent many years lovingly restoring both the horses and the wagon. Since his wife passed away last year from a prolonged illness, the dream of opening an amusement park has faded, and now the owner is putting the cherished carousell up for sale. He assures me that he would prefer it return to Coney Island, and would certainly consider lowering his asking price to make that happen.

The price is substantial, but it is by all accounts the only such carousell left in existence. Now fully restored, it would be a worthy acquisition for Coney Island, the borough of Brooklyn, and the city of New York; a reminder of the gifts and talents of the many immigrants that made New York City their home, and the ingenuity and resourcefulness that made Coney Island “the People’s Playground”.

It took many millions of dollars to acquire, restore, and house the B&B Carousell, and she certainly is a jewel in Coney Island’s crown. How wonderful it would be to see this absolutely charming “Children’s Delight” carousell take its place alongside its big sister?

Please feel free to contact me at lamangelsschaefer@gmail.com with any inquiries, suggestions, or comments. I’d like to hope that with enough interest, the “Children’s Delight” can find its way back home.