BROOKLYN – Carousel experts and fine art movers arrived at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) Tuesday to delicately pack up Coney Island’s 89-year-old Bishoff & Brienstein Carousell (B&B).
The entire team of colorful antique horses and other carousel components will be temporarily transferred to Marion, Ohio, where it will be meticulously restored by a team led by Todd Goings of Carousels & Carvings, Inc. (C&C), a nationally recognized expert in the field.
When the B & B Carousell is restored to its former glory, it will be returned to a new custom-built home in Coney Island where kids of all ages will enjoy a new public plaza overlooking the beach at Steeplechase Plaza at the base the iconic Parachute Jump.
The City of New York acquired the carousel in 2005 from the McCullough family for $1.8 million to avert its piecemeal sale at auction. It has been stored at BAT awaiting restoration since it was dismantled shortly after its acquisition.
“The acquisition of the B & B Carousell two and a half years ago was the first step in the city’s efforts to revitalize Coney Island by expanding and improving its amusement core, strengthening its residential base, and most importantly, building on its rich history and character,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President Seth W. Pinsky.
Carousels & Carvings was responsible for dismantling the carousel, cataloguing its thousands of components and preparing them for storage at the Army Terminal. In addition to developing and executing a comprehensive, detailed restoration plan for the carousel, C&C will also transport the restored carousel back to Coney Island, reassemble it and install it at its new home in the newly created Steeplechase Pavilion near the Parachute Jump.
The $2 million program will also include restoration of the massive Gebruder band organ, the brass ring device and ticket booth. In addition, C&C will develop a comprehensive maintenance program and maintenance manual for the restored carousel to ensure that it remains in good repair in the future. The restoration will take about two-and-a half years to complete.
Todd Goings had been working in the carousel industry since 1985. He and his team of expert cabinet makers, wood carvers, industrial patternmakers, machinists, metal workers, artists and painters have worked on (number) of carousel from all parts of the United States, including the Santa Monica Pier Carousel and a Dentzel jester headed carousel for the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.
Working on the B & B restoration with Todd Goings, will be Rosa Patton, a specialist in the restoration of wood fairground pieces. She will be responsible for all color work on the carousel and the band organ façade. Tim Westman of Westman Restorations will be responsible for the restoration of the Gebruder band organ and music rolls.
The B & B Carousell dates from 1919 and is 45 feet wide and 20 feet tall. In addition to its 50 horses, the carousel features two dragon-themed, four-seat chariots, a 66-key band organ, a brass ring machine, and original carved, painted rounding boards, mirrors and scenery panels.
Its structure and mechanical components were built by William F. Mangles. Forty-nine of its horses were hand-carved by master woodcarver Brooklynite Charles Carmel. Its lead horse, a fully armored horse with the image of Abraham Lincoln in its trappings, was produced by another legendary Brooklyn carving shop, the studio of Marcus Charles Illions.
Although originally located in New Jersey, the carousel was owned by the McCullough family. In the early 1920s, Coney Island had as many as 25 carousels, of which only the B & B remains.
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2008
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