Zeum Celebrates 100th Anniversary of
Looff Carousel from Playland-at-the Beach

Public Is Invited To Share Carousel Memories

10 April 2006—San Francisco, CA: As San Francisco commemorates the centennial of the 1906 earthquake and fire, Zeum celebrates the 100th anniversary of its historic carousel, which was spared from this disaster—and others later in its rich history—by the luck of timing. Today, the Zeum Carousel marks the entrance to Zeum at Yerba Buena Gardens and is a symbol of both the past and the future.

In celebration of the Zeum Carousel’s 100th anniversary, Zeum is launching “Stories-Go-Round”—a project to collect stories about the carousel throughout its rich history. Members of the public are invited to come to Zeum to share their carousel memories or to submit their stories online. The stories will be collected for a future exhibit at Zeum, and will be permanently preserved in the archives of the San Francisco Public Library's History Center.

The Zeum Carousel was hand-carved in 1906 by German immigrant and legendary craftsman Charles I.D. Looff in his Rhode Island shop. According to Warren Crandall, great great nephew of Playland-at-the-Beach owners George and Leo Whitney, Looff already operated an old-fashioned merry-go-round with stationary horses in San Francisco’s Steeple Chase Park, not far from the Zeum Carousel’s current SoMa location. When the mechanism that allowed for “jumping” horses was invented, Looff began construction on a new and improved carousel to replace the old one. However, before the new carousel could be installed in San Francisco, the great earthquake and fire destroyed the park, causing the carousel to be re-routed to Luna Park in Seattle.

The carousel was once again spared from disaster in 1911 when a fire destroyed Luna Park, leaving only the carousel standing. When San Francisco’s ocean-side amusement park Playland-at-the-Beach opened in 1913, the carousel found a new home and was installed as one of the park’s crown jewels. It was a beloved fixture at Playland for nearly sixty years until the park closed in 1972. Private collector Marianne Stevens again saved from the carousel from a premature demise by purchasing the carousel in its entirety, thus preventing it from being dismantled and auctioned off in pieces. After a few years in storage, the carousel was moved to Long Beach, CA where it continued to capture the hearts of riders for another fifteen years. Finally in 1998 the carousel was purchased and restored by The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and installed in the newly developed Yerba Buena Gardens, not far from where Steeple Chase Park was located before the earthquake. Crandall marvels, “I’ll bet it’s the only carousel that took over 90 years to reach its originally intended destination.”

When the carousel re-opened in Yerba Buena Gardens in 1998, Crandall came for a ride with his 5-year-old daughter and his grandmother, who had ridden the very same carousel at Playland-at-the-Beach in 1914. According to Crandall, his grandmother got tears in her eyes as she rode the carousel from her youth, saying, “I just never thought I would see this carousel again.” She passed away shortly thereafter. Crandall and his family are not the only ones with personal stories and touching memories of the Zeum Carousel through the ages. Sharon Holmlund recalls the story of how her parents first met on the carousel at Playland in 1941. Her father was a radio operator in the U.S. Navy, who narrowly escaped the attack on Peal Harbor. During his first leave after the attack, he visited Playland with some fellow sailors where he became captivated with a redheaded young lady riding the carousel. After saving her from the unwanted attentions of a drunken sailor, Sharon’s father spent the day sightseeing with the young nurse in training, thus beginning a long relationship that would culminate in over 50 years of marriage. Sharon visited the Zeum Carousel in its current location with her parents in 2000, who were thrilled to re-live their first moments of romance on the historic treasure.

In addition to the “Stories-Go-Round” project, Zeum is also conducting a fundraising campaign in honor of the carousel’s 100th anniversary. The “Every Animal Needs a Name Campaign” invites individuals to select a carousel animal and give it a name—which will appear along with the individual’s own name on a brass nameplate—for a donation ranging from $500–$5,000. Proceeds from the campaign will not only support the legacy of the Zeum Carousel, but will also help Zeum to provide vital arts and technology resources for kids and families. The campaign has already raised over $50,000 to benefit Zeum’s programs for youth and families throughout the Bay Area. Campaign levels, photos of available animals and other information on how to participate in the “Every Animal Needs A Name Campaign,” can be accessed online at www.zeum.org/carousel, or by calling 415.820.3354.

“We are thrilled that the tradition of this San Francisco treasure will continue with new generations of visitors to Zeum and Yerba Buena Gardens, “ said native San Franciscan and Zeum CEO Adrienne Pon. “I can remember riding the carousel as a young girl and hope the Zeum Carousel continues to bring joy to all kids, big and small.”

Zeum is a community-based, multimedia arts and technology museum with a mission to foster creativity and innovation in young people of all ages and backgrounds. Through hands-on programs in animation, sound and video production, live performance and visual arts, Zeum delivers a powerful learning experience that stimulates critical thinking, creative exploration, and expression.

The Zeum Carousel bridges the gap between past and future by reminding us how “new technology” delighted visitors 100 years ago, as Zeum continues to do for new generations of kids and families.

Related Event:
1906 Concert & Sing-Along: A Caruso Memory
Monday, April 17, 5:30-6:30pm, in Yerba Buena Gardens
Visitors are invited to go back in time with a free outdoor event that re-creates a concert given 100 years ago. The California Historical Society presents selections from the opera Carmen, as presented on April 17, 1906—the evening before the earthquake—by the great tenor Enrico Caruso in his final concert ever in San Francisco. The performance will take place near the site of the former Grand Opera House in which Caruso performed. Concert attendees can also take a spin back to 1906 with free rides on the Zeum Carousel from 4-7pm in honor of the carousel's 100th birthday.

History of the Zeum Carousel at A Glance:

1906:	Carousel constructed in Rhode Island by renowned designer and craftsman Charles I.D. Looff. Cannot be installed in San Francisco as planned, due to the earthquake and fire.
1907:	Installed at Luna Park, Seattle
1911:	Luna Park fire—only the carousel survives
1913:	Moves to San Francisco’s ocean-side amusement park, Playland-at-the-Beach
1972:	Playland closes, carousel purchased by private collector and put into storage
1983:	Carousel installed at Shoreline Village in Long Beach, CA
1998:	Purchased by the City of San Francisco, fully restored, and opened in its current location at Zeum in Yerba Buena Gardens
2006:	Zeum Carousel is 100 years old

For more information about Zeum and the Zeum Carousel, please visit www.zeum.org or call 415.820.3320.

Note to Press: Print-quality photos of the Zeum Carousel—including historic photos from as early as 1907—are available upon request, and can also be downloaded from the “Press Room” section of the Zeum website at www.zeum.org. Audio files of the original carousel organ music from Playland are also available. Interviews can be arranged with Warren Crandall and Sharon Holmlund (quoted above) as well as several people who used to operate the carousel at Playland and now enjoy bringing their children and grandchildren to the Zeum Carousel.