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switch to automated carving and eventually cast figures out of
aluminum in order to stay in business. High unemployment in the
1930s meant that many families had less disposable income to spend.
Countless wooden carousels fell into disrepair and simply disappeared
as maintaining them became too expensive and time-consuming. The
handful of individual wooden figures rescued from defunct platforms
were considered decorative items at best and junk at worst.

This horse was the first donation to the Museum. Produced by the
U.S. Merry-Go-Round Co. of Cincinnati, OH, c. 1895, it came off of
an early carousel located at Lake Compounce in Bristol, CT,
the oldest amusement park in the country. It was stored in the garage
of a local resident for many years, and except for the new horsehair,
this figure has not been touched in over a century. The Coney Island Bay shows off the flamboyance and drama that the famed
carvers of this Brooklyn neighborhood were known for. At the center is a wild
expressive faces, and trappings aplenty sometimes fanciful and shiny, c. 1920 "flame mane" jumper horse carved by Marcus Illions,
sometimes realistic and historically accurate but always eye-catching. covered in a generous amount of 23-karat gold leaf.
Americans quickly developed a love affair with these majestic
creatures, however during the Golden Age of the wooden carousel A Comeback for Art’s Sake
industry from 1880-1930 they were not considered art but commercial This outlook changed around 1973 with the establishment of The
commodities; it was believed that the larger and fancier the horses National Carousel Association, which helps fund the preservation
and carousel mechanism, the more income they would generate. For and raise the awareness of existing antique carousels. Many
a time this seemed to be true; carousel production and operation in publications on carousel art followed, and the American love affair
the early 1900s were lucrative businesses. At this time there were with carousels has now come full circle as wooden carousels are being
approximately twenty carousels at Coney Island alone, the largest and built and figures carved once again, and the public continues to
most successful of which could bring in $500 in nickels on a busy day appreciate the wooden carousel as not only a form of entertainment
(about $15,000 today) as thousands of eager patrons would hop on but as a work of art.
the platform, hoping to grab the brass ring and win a free ride. The New England Carousel Museum shares in this dedication to
Unfortunately, the duration of this love affair was limited. Rising the preservation of antique carousels, of which there are fewer than
labor costs, the Great Depression, and changes in technology all 200 around today. Tradition is alive and well here, as we carve new
contributed to the demise of the wooden carousel. Factories had to carousel pieces and restore antique ones for both private collectors
and carousel operators using early 20th century techniques. Master
Painter Judy Baker explains our painting process: “We use Japan Oils
which are the same types of paint that would have been used at the
beginning of the last century, except the lead has been removed. We
have a basic palette of colors and we mix variations of the different
shades.” The paint is applied entirely by hand, and dozens of brushes
of different sizes, shapes, and textures are used at a time for painting,
blending, and pinstriping. “As the horse is being painted you can see it
come to life in front of your eyes and it’s very exciting, and you never
want to take away from the carving detail. You want to enhance it.” Our
current restoration projects are always on display for visitors to view.

A Collection of Different Styles
When you visit the Museum you will notice that the figures are
grouped by carving style. There were three styles of carousel carving
that developed in America during the Golden Age: the Philadelphia
style, the Coney Island style, and the Country Fair style. Philadelphia
figures are renowned for their literal and sculptural qualities and
realistic proportions; they look very much like real horses and often
have beautiful secondary carvings on the saddleback (called the
cantle) or on the chest. We like to joke that these horses are so
Here Restorations Manager Lisa Ronalter applies pinstriping to a horse bound life-like that if you held out an apple to one of them they would
for the carousel at Sonny’s Place in Somers, CT, an antique machine actually eat it!
built in 1925 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. continued on page 39

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