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Charles I.D. Looff | |
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| Born | Carl Jürgen Detlef Looff May 24, 1852 |
| Died | July 1, 1918 (aged 66) Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Builder and carver of carousels and amusement rides |
| Spouse | Anna Dolle (m. 1874) |
| Children | Anna (1875-1896) Helen (1877-1956) Emma (1879-1938) Charles (1881-1924) William (1883-1945) Arthur (1888-1970) |
Charles I. D. Looff (born Carl Jürgen Detlef Looff) was a Danish master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides, who immigrated to the United States of America in 1870. Looff built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. During his lifetime, he built over 40 carousels, several amusements parks, numerous roller coasters and Ferris wheels, and built California's famous Santa Monica Pier. He became famous for creating the unique Coney Island style of carousel carving.