On a sunny afternoon at the Jesse Owen Carousel Pavilion in Greenport’s Mitchell Park, Bob Wissmann moves carefully through a herd of antique horses, paint brush in hand. He takes a survey of nicks and breaks, making mental notes on which horse needs what repair.
“This guy’s had his ears sheared off,” says Wissmann. He pats the wooden horse on the head and speaks directly to it.
“Poor fella. I’ll glue your ears back on soon.”
For the past 15 years, Wissmann, a spry octogenarian with a quick sense of humor, has been the curator and caretaker of the antique carousel horses at the pavilion.
The carousel, built in the 1920s by the Herschell Spillman company, is home to three dozen antique horses, some dating from as far back as the late 1800s. It was donated to Greenport Village in 1995 by Northrop-Grumman, which used it at their Calverton plant for company picnics and community events.
Wissmann has had a number of career “gigs,” as he calls them, but none relating to the preservation and restoration of carousel horses.
“I was a flight engineer for 13 years, then I built and developed my own marina in West Babylon. I moved out to Greenport in 1989 — built a house out here.”
His fascination with the horses started about two decades ago when he took a part-time job as the carousel operator.
“For the first 10 years I operated the carousel and I fixed things that broke, mainly on the horses; if one broke a leg or something I could do that.”
As the years went by, Wissmann took on more responsibility, fixing both the horses and some of the mechanical parts. When the carousel was moved to Mitchell Park in 2001, the village put Wissmann in charge of the horses.
“It seemed like a lot of responsibility to me,” said Wissmann. “But the village said that they saw my dedication and made me curator. [Then] mayor Dave Kapell told me I was the perfect person for the job. He wanted the carousel to look nice in its new home.”
Wissmann is clearly dedicated to his craft. He and his wife have visited nearly two dozen carousels over the past 20 years, driving their RV up and down the eastern seaboard, taking notes and looking for ways that he could improve the Greenport carousel.
As he maneuvers around a horse sporting a “wet paint” sign, Wissmann confesses that it’s difficult to keep up with all the repairs, painting and decorating.
“In the winter it’s hard to find good painting days since it’s cold and the paint doesn’t dry very well.”
And there is a shortage of decorative painters to help with the fine details on the horses. Over the years Wissmann has gotten a hand from some local artists who would come in and do some detail work, but they have all moved on and he’s on his own.
“It would be wonderful to have some talented people who can handle fine brushwork to come and help. We have a few horses that are ready to be decorated,” says Wissmann.
Although Wissmann loves all the horses, there is a special place in his heart for a particular one, horse number 13.
“I guess it’s my favorite since I spend so much time on it,” he explains.
He reaches down and strokes the intricate woodwork on the saddle.
“I was able to follow much of the original carving. I gave him a gold tooth. That means it’s a horse I refinished.”
As the day winds down, Wissmann stops and takes a fond look around at his special herd.
“I feel for them,” he says. “I apologize to them when I can’t get to them quickly.”
With some 2,000 people riding the carousel on a busy summer weekend, the horses take quite a beating. But Wissmann takes it all in stride and when the carousel stops turning and the crowds disperse, he will be there, paint brush in hand, to work his magic.
SoutholdLOCAL photos by Katharine Schroeder
