Carousel

"Oh painted vile in lurid hue

The snarling horse that waits for you…" 

Many of us loved and rode carousels as children, but did you know that America used to have the largest number of hand-carved carousels in the world?

During the 1860's, the popularity of the modern carousel movement in America created a 'Golden Age' of Carousels (from around 1880 to about 1930). There were many companies providing carousels for the growing demand, including: the Dentzel Company, Philadelphia Toboggan Company, M.C. Illions, Herschell-Spillman, Stein & Goldstein, and C.W. Parker. Most of these were named after the master carvers who began the tradition and founded the companies, so, despite its European origins, the most well-crafted carousels could be found here in the states. America could boast of being home to thousands of these beautifully crafted carousels, but today, only a few hundred remain, and the number continues to shrink. The 'Golden Age' ended due to the declining economy during the Great Depression. Many companies were closed, and many carousels were abandoned or destroyed...

SPILLMAN ENGINEERING was one of the companies that flourished during the 'Golden Age'. Herschell Spillman company changed its name to Spillman in the early 1920s and continued carving, however their style changed from menagerie carousels to those with only horses (see below).

This large carousel located in Griffith Park was built in 1926 by Spillman Engineering for San Diego's Mission Beach. It was in San Diego Expo until 1935 and then moved into its current location in 1937. It remains the only full-size Spillman Engineering carousel still in operation today. 

It features 68 hand-carved horses, four abreast, every one a 'jumper' (see terminology below).

It also has two chariots, which were 'benches' for people who did not want to ride a horse - also called lover's seats or gondolas.

The carving is extremely fine with rich details: jewel-encrusted bridles, draped blankets ornamented with sunflowers and lion heads...  and the horses tails were originally made with real horse-hair...! 

This Stinson 165 Military Band Organ is said to be the largest carousel band organ on the West Coast, with more than 1500 marches and waltzes.

This Spillman carousel was said to be Walt Disney's inspiration for Disneyland and the Disneyland carousel…!!

Carousel terminology:

"Jumper - describes a horse/figure that has all four feet off the carousel platform.  Jumpers are normally the 'moving' horses on a carousel (either suspended from the overhead or attached to a mechanism from underneath).   Another term sometimes used for a horse with all four feet off the platform is galloper."

"Outside Row - The outermost ring of any carousel contains the largest and most decorated figures.  This was because the outside row is the one most easily seen by spectators - so the horses intended for the outside row were the ones most heavily decorated.  Middle- and inside-row horses rarely show all the beautiful carving detail that an outside-row horse carries"

"Romance Side - The most highly-decorated side of a carousel horse.  Most carousel horses, especially outside-row horses, carried much more decoration on the side of the horse that was going to be seen by the public than on the side that faced towards the center of the carousel.  On American carousels, the Romance Side is on the right side of the horse - on English carousels, it is on the left.  The reason for this is the difference in rotation direction between American and English carousels."

"Menagerie Figure - Any carousel animal that was not a horse.  Some popular menagerie figures were tigers, lions, bears, deer, pigs, goats, giraffes, rabbits, and cats.  Some mythical creatures like the sea monster and hippocampus (front half of a horse and back half of a fish) were also found on carousels and would also be considered menagerie figures."

I, personally, did not see a difference in the quality and details on the inner row of horses verses the outer row (the 'romance side') - has anyone else noticed a difference...?? 

Preservation organizations like the National Carousel Association and the International Museum of Carousel Art have worked to preserve remaining carousels for future generations.

You can read more about their work on their websites:

National Carousel Association

http://nationalcarousel.org

Carousel News

http://www.carouselnews.com/January-2008/January-2008/Griffith-Park-Carousel-A-Piece-of-American-History.html

International Museum of Carousel Art

http://www.carouselmuseum.com

Enjoy!

Credits:

Carousel terminology: Carousel Figures

http://www.carouselfigures.com/id250.html

Slideshow music: To The Shock of Miss Louise (Thomas Newman - Lost Boys Soundtrack)

Quote: Carousel (Siouxsie and the Banshees)

You can also read more at: The History of Carousels or Merry-Go-Rounds | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6544345_history-carousels-merry_go_rounds.html#ixzz2J1bhiGxh

Merry Go Roundup

http://nationalcarousel.org/MGR.html

Brian Morgan

http://nationalcarousel.org/Carvers_Builders3.html