During his teenage years in the 1860s, Karl Jurgen Detlev Looff began working in wood carving. His gift for artistic design in wood would have a significant effect on the world of entertainment.
Geopolitical conflicts and outcomes help explain why various sources often deem Looff (1852–1918) either a Dane or a German. He was born in the Duchy of Holstein, which had an interesting history before his birth in 1852. It became a county within the Holy Roman Empire in 1111 and then a duchy from 1459 to 1815. After 1815, the Duchy was incorporated into the German Confederation—fitting, since most of those who had lived in the duchy were German.
Looff grew up during a time of military conflict among Denmark, Prussia, and Austria. Denmark began attempting to annex the duchy in about 1864. Over the next two years of conflict, which resulted in Denmark’s defeat, Holstein became part of Austria (1864) and then Prussia (1866).
Coming to America
In 1870, at age 18, Looff emigrated to the United States. According to sources, he changed his name to Charles I.D. Looff when the customs agent at the Emigrant Landing Depot at Castle Garden asked what his middle name was. The agent explained he needed a middle name for his identification papers (that is, I.D.). Noting the acronym before him, he chose I.D.When Looff settled in Brooklyn, New York, he soon began working for a furniture company as its wood-carver. Interestingly, he also taught ballroom dancing; that’s how he met his future wife, whom he married in 1874.
Coney Island’s Carousel
Competition among Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Coney Island was fierce, as investors and entrepreneurs worked to build better hotels, better restaurants, better entertainment venues, and faster ways to reach the beach. As locals and vacationers continued to pour into the south Brooklyn beaches, Looff had an idea that would add to the beachside attractions.
Looff changed the way that carousels were designed by choosing to create “originals” instead of using preset designs. All of his animals differed in look and style. When he began to carve horses, for which he would become most famous, he styled each mane and each facial expression uniquely. Even the horses’ mouths varied in expression.
California Calling
Looff left his mark on the country’s northeast through his New York-based operations, which were later moved to Providence, Rhode Island. By the early 1900s, Looff decided to move to California to continue his work. Before leaving Providence, Looff completed a 54-horse carousel, as a wedding gift for his daughter and son-in-law.Much like his experience in Brooklyn, he arrived in California in 1910 at a time when coastal cities were experiencing exponential growth. Before leaving for California, Looff began constructing a massive carousel for the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. The carousel, with its 73 horses and two Roman chariots, was shipped to the boardwalk and installed in 1911. Looff also built the hippodrome that housed the carousel. After more than a century, the carousel remains in operation at the Boardwalk.
The effects of Looff’s arrival in California were immediate. About 350 miles south of Santa Cruz, Looff’s creative skills were needed. Santa Monica found itself in stiff competition with Ocean Park and Venice Beach, in much the same way the Brooklyn beaches competed with each other.
Looff had already proven the power of his creativity before he even set foot in California. Allowing him to take the reins for Santa Monica’s beachside entertainment future was a no-brainer. Looff designed and built the Looff Pleasure Pier. To get to the pier, people entered through the Looff Hippodrome, which still stands today. This elegantly designed building had 12 striped towers with castle-like crenelations on the corner towers, along with a Russian-styled onion dome. The carousel inside had wooden horses and 1,100 electric lights. This was the last carousel Looff built. The Looff Pleasure Pier remains in operation to this day but goes by a different, more recognizable name: the Santa Monica Pier.
