Instagram of the Week :: The Joy of a Carousel

What is it about seeing a carousel that immediately lightens my heart and brings me back to my childhood? My daughter loves to ride them whenever we come upon one – whether it be at a shopping mall or at an amusement park. This past week we went to our local zoo that has a gorgeous carousel with all types of animals including a giraffe, eagle, tiger and even a nest that you can spin round and round. If the carousel attendant lets me – I jump on with my daughter and feel about six years old again. Most amusement parks have a carousel. Disneyland in Anaheim has a gigantic one with elaborate horses that look like they are carrying you to the Ball in Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage that usually has a long line of kids waiting to ride the perfect horse. The history of the carousel is quite fascinating and dates back hundreds of years.

The History of the Carousel:

Although the carousel developed gradually in European countries such as Germany, France, England, and Italy, it did not reach its full-scale development until it went into its American phase. This began with several makers, primarily Gustav Dentzel, Michael Dentzel’s son, of Germany, and Dare from England. Michael Dentzel sent all four of his sons over to America in the 1850s, one of them, Gustav, with a full and complete large carousel packed away on the steamship. In early 1860 Gustav set up his family’s carousel in Philadelphia to test the American market. It met with great success. At the same time he opened up a carousel and cabinet workshop in German town. This eventually became the headquarters for one of America’s greatest carousel-making families. Shortly after this beginning other carousel makers from Europe began to arrive on American shores. Many fine woodcarvers and painters, classically trained in their European homeland, worked for these early American companies. The Dentzels, being of German origin, also employed other Germans such as the Muller brothers and also many Italians, such as Salvador Chernigliaro. (Source: courtesy of Wikipedia.com).

Carousels came to the United States in the 1860’s:

The first carousel to be seen in the United States was created in Hessville, Ohio, approximately 25 miles (40 km) from Toledo, Ohio on U.S. Route 20 during the 1840s by Franz Wiesenhoffer. The first carousel patent was granted on 25 July 1871, to Willhelm Schneider of Davenport, IA. Several centers and styles for the construction of carousels emerged in the United States: Coney Island style – characterized by elaborate, and sometimes faux-jeweled, saddles – with Charles I.D. Looff, Charles Carmel, Marcus Charles Illions, Soloman Stein and Harry Goldstein and Mangels; Philadelphia style – known for more realistically painted saddles – with Dentzel and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company; and Country Fair style – often with no saddles at all – with Allan Herschell and Edward Spillman of western New York, and Charles W. Parker of Kansas.

Many carousel connoisseurs consider the golden age of the carousel to be early 20th century America. Very large machines were being built, elaborate animals, chariots, and decorations were superbly made by skilled old-world craftsmen taking advantage of their new freedoms in America. Large amounts of excellent and cheap carving wood were available such as Appalachian white pine, basswood, and yellow poplar. Whereas most European carousel figures are relatively static in posture, American figures are more representative of active beasts – tossed manes, expressive eyes and postures of movement are their hallmarks. The first carousel at Coney Island, America’s first major amusement park, was built in 1876 by Charles I. D. Looff, a Danish woodcarver. Another style is a double-decker, in which there is a huge carousel stacked on top of another. (Source: Wikipedia.com).

Good luck trying to get your kids to walk by a carousel if you come upon one! When was the last time you jumped up on the carousel and rode it with your kids? Next time you see one – why not join in the fun and take yourself back to your childhood where the lights and songs were magical and you didn’t want the carousel ride to stop. Enjoy those dandelion moments!