Last updated: July 25, 2023
Place
Forest Park Carousel
Photograph by Nancy Cataldi, courtesy of the New York State Historic Preservation Office
Quick Facts
Location:
Woodhaven Blvd. and Myrtle Ave., Woodhaven, New York
Significance:
Art, Entertainment/Recreation
Designation:
Listed in the National Register - Reference number 04000706
MANAGED BY:
The Forest Park Carousel in Woodhaven, Queens, New York was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The carousel is significant as a representative example of an early twentieth century carousel and a rare surviving example of the work of Daniel C. Muller, a master craftsman of carousel animals.
Daniel C. Muller, a German immigrant, studied sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Alongside his brother, Alfred, the two became trained in the Philadelphia style of carousel carving, which is distinguished by large, realistically-carved animals that projected gracefulness and strength. Aided by his fine arts training, Muller was known for producing particularly beautiful and realistic figures, complete with expressive eyes, intricate compositions, and naturalistic muscles. Some have noted that his sculptures have qualities similar to those created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of the country's most prominent sculptors of the late 19th century.
The Forest Park Carousel was produced for a lakeside resort in Massachusettts in 1903 by the Muller brothers' company. After the majority of the park burnt down in the 1950s, the carousel was sold to a private collector in 1971. The carousel was then sold and reconstructed in Forest Park a year later, where it was reunited with horses that had been sold separately. The carousel is one of only two Muller carousels that are still in existence, and features 52 figures that were hand-carved, individually painted, and unique. Although the carousel has been dismantled and refurbished multiple times, it remains one of the best and most intact examples of Daniel C. Muller's renowned handiwork.
Daniel C. Muller, a German immigrant, studied sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Alongside his brother, Alfred, the two became trained in the Philadelphia style of carousel carving, which is distinguished by large, realistically-carved animals that projected gracefulness and strength. Aided by his fine arts training, Muller was known for producing particularly beautiful and realistic figures, complete with expressive eyes, intricate compositions, and naturalistic muscles. Some have noted that his sculptures have qualities similar to those created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of the country's most prominent sculptors of the late 19th century.
The Forest Park Carousel was produced for a lakeside resort in Massachusettts in 1903 by the Muller brothers' company. After the majority of the park burnt down in the 1950s, the carousel was sold to a private collector in 1971. The carousel was then sold and reconstructed in Forest Park a year later, where it was reunited with horses that had been sold separately. The carousel is one of only two Muller carousels that are still in existence, and features 52 figures that were hand-carved, individually painted, and unique. Although the carousel has been dismantled and refurbished multiple times, it remains one of the best and most intact examples of Daniel C. Muller's renowned handiwork.