Golden Age of the American Carousel

Golden Age of the American Carousel. , In 1860, at the age of 20, Gustav Dentzel arrived in America and settled in Philadelphia., After learning the craft from his father in Germany, Dentzel built his first Carousel in 1867, and took it from town to town selling tickets for rides. It proved a huge success and Americans were hooked on the charm of Carousel rides!, The American Carousel was a favorite until the Great Depression made a Carousel ride a luxury very few could afford. The Golden Era of the Carousel would end., Other Interesting Facts. , Other factors for the decline of beautiful hand-carved Carousels included: , . The mechanization of carving meant skilled artists were replaced with molds and machines. , . The introduction of aluminum changed wooden horses into more affordable and simpler metal replicas., Fredrick Savage adapted the Steam Engine to propel Carousels in 1870. Up until that time most were operated with mule power., Carousel Types and Time Periods , . Classic wood figures 1800's-1930's , . Wood/metal and metal figures 1940's-1960's , . Modern fiberglass and composition animals 1960's to present , . New wood figures 1980's-present, Sidebar, History and Evolution of the Carousel , The word Carousel is derived from carosello, the old Italian word meaning "little war"., The word described an Arabian game Spanish Crusaders witnessed and took to Italy. In the game, skilled horsemen tossed and caught clay balls filled with scented oil., In the 17th century, a form of this game found its way to the royal court of France from Spain. In the newer version, horsemen attempted to pierce small rings with a sword while riding at full speed. A practice device for this game was soon created using wooden horses mounted on beams extending from a central pole. This early carousel, powered by either horse or servants, caught on as a ride for nobility and children alike. From the training devices evolved the Carousel, ridden for amusement., The size of these machines was initially limited by power source until in 1870 when Englishman Fredrick Savage developed a way to use the steam engine to propel carousels., Captions , 1. Frederick and Mary Fried Archives, Barbara Williams Collection , 2. Gustav Dentzel