Solomon Stein was born in Poland around 1881 and Harry Goldstein — born Harry Mandel — in Russia in 1867; they immigrated to the United States in 1903–1904 and 1902 respectively. Both found early work as furniture carvers and, like many in the carousel trade, had previously carved ladies' combs in their homelands. The two men met in 1905 when both answered advertisements placed by William F. Mangels and joined his Coney Island carousel factory. After two years honing their skills at Mangels, they opened their own carving company around 1906–1907, operating as the Artistic Caroussel Manufacturers out of cramped quarters at 44 Boerum Street in Brooklyn. From there they supplied figures to the major carousel frame manufacturers of the period, competing directly with Illions and Carmel in the Coney Island school. VintagecarouselsVintagecarousels

Stein and Goldstein are credited with having carved the largest carousel horses — massive, near life-size creatures with aggressive and muscular bodies — and their armored figures, decked out with fish scales, chain mail, and large buckles, became hallmarks of their work. Their animals for the 1908 Central Park Carousel survive in daily operation today, representing one of the most visited Stein and Goldstein commissions still accessible to the public. With the decline of the carousel industry in the 1920s, the partnership shifted to carving small horses for children's barber chairs for a Chicago firm — a telling measure of how completely the golden age market had contracted. Their figures are among the most sought in the Coney Island school, distinguished by scale and physical intensity rather than the decorative flamboyance more associated with Illions. Showmen's Museum + 2