William S. Mangels (1866-1958), inventor and entrepreneur, brought life to Brooklyn’s Coney Island with his innovative amusement ride designs. Founder of the W.F. Mangels Company in the 1880s, Mangels designed over thirty nine amusement rides and other devices over the course of his career, some of which are still in use. The postcard pictured above depicts the rotating cars of “The Whip,” a popular Coney Island ride. Mangels is also credited with introducing the now standard up-and-down “galloping” motion of carousel horses and some of the first “kiddie” rides, designed especially for children.
On September 7, 2014, an exhibition honoring the career of William Mangels will be on view here at Green-Wood. “William F. Mangels: Amusing the Masses on Coney Island and Beyond,” will showcase original artifacts from our Historical Collections as well as items loaned from a variety of institutions. Click the image to expand.