At the age of 16, William F. Mangels immigrated to America from Germany, and like many German craftsmen at the time he was immediately drawn to the atmosphere of Coney Island. Already a bourgeoning area for those looking for leisure, … Continue reading →
At the age of 16, William F. Mangels immigrated to America from Germany, and like many German craftsmen at the time he was immediately drawn to the atmosphere of Coney Island. Already a bourgeoning area for those looking for leisure,… Continue reading→
At the age of 16, William F. Mangels immigrated to America from Germany, and like many German craftsmen at the time he was immediately drawn to the atmosphere of Coney Island. Already a bourgeoning area for those looking for leisure, Mangels found Coney Island to be the perfect place to perfect his interest in creating amusement rides.
Just four years after arriving in America, Mangels opened the W. F. Mangels Company of Coney Island, an amusement manufacturer specializing in carousels, where he employed many master German craftsmen from wood carvers to painters. Inventor of over 39 different amusement devices and rides including The Tickler and The Whip, Mangels also held the patent for the standard device that controls the motion of the horses on a carousel.
He also opened the American Museum of Public Recreation in 1929 next door to his factory. The museum housed a large collection of musical devices for amusement park rides, as well as artwork and ephemera associated with them. Unfortunately due to a lack of funding, the museum was forced to close just three years after opening.
Today you can see his mark on many of the rides on Coney Island, as well as amusement parks around the country. One of these rides, the B&B Carousell [sic], is currently undergoing a full restoration and is slated for a 2013 reveal at its original Coney Island home.