Carousel The€¦ · together at IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando. Produced by: Attractions Expo...

Carousel News & Trader, September 2010 1www.carouselnews.com

News & Trader

The

Carousel September 2010Vol. 26, No. 9

$5.95

25th AnniversAry 1985-201025th AnniversAry 1985-2010

September 2010Vol. 26, No. 9

$5.95

News & TraderCarousel

The

B R A S S R I N G E N T E R T A I N M E N T , 1 1 0 0 1 P E O R I A S T R E E T , S U N V A L L E Y , C A 9 1 3 5 28 1 8 - 3 9 4 - 0 0 2 8 • f a x 8 1 8 - 3 9 4 - 0 0 6 2 • s a l e s @ c a r o u s e l . c o m • w w w . c a r o u s e l . c o m

CAROUSELS FOR SALE1927 Illions Supreme – SOLD

This is the last of the three complete supremes including the world famous American Beauty rose horse.

1895 Looff Carousel. Last operated at Asbury ParkA huge 4-row with 78 replacement animals.

1925 PTC. Last operated Kiddieland in Melrose, IL3-row carousel with an amazing 16 signature PTC horses.

1900s PTC Carousel Last operated by the world famous Strates shows. In storage awaiting restoration.

1900s Looff CarouselHuge 4-row menagerie carousel. Has been in storage for years, awaiting restoration.

1900s PTC CarouselRare 4-row unrestored carousel great for community project. Priced to sell. Restoration available.

1927 Dentzel frame from Rock Springs, WVThe last carousel Dentzel ever built with the trim still in original paint. Replacement animals available.

1880s Herschell-Spillman Steam-Operated CarouselOriginal steam engine with 24 animals and 2 chariots.

1900s Dentzel Menagerie CarouselAll original animals. Currently up and operating looking for new home.

1900s PTC CarouselA huge 4-row with all original animals. Restored and ready to operate.

1920s Dentzel Menagerie CarouselAll original animals. Deluxe trim. Currently in storage. Videos of it operating at its last location.

1920s Dentzel CarouselAnother huge 4-row machine, just like Disneyland’s, with 78 replacement animals.

Allan Herschell Carousel30 horses. New sweeps and platforms. Set up for outdoor use. Located on East Coast. Up and running; ready to go.

1920s Spillman Three-row, Rare barn find. All original and complete. Awaiting restoration.

Large supply of later Allan Herschell carousels starting at $75,000, and newer used fiberglass carousels starting at $175,000.

Other large, significant antique carousels available. Details by request only.All machines can be seen at www.carousel.com, or call or write for details.

To attend or exhibit, go to www.IAAPA.org

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Carousel News & Trader, September 20104 www.carouselnews.com

From Dan’s Desk ........................................... 6Notes from Marianne ................................... 8Carousel Calendar ....................................... 8From the Editor ............................................. 9William F. Mangels, III Memoriam ............ 10Burlington, NC Dentzel Turns 100 .............. 13CN&T Celebrates 25 Years ....................... 17Carousels Lost, 1964-2010 ........................ 26Carousels Saved, 1963-2010 ...................... 27CN&T 25 Years Paparazzi ........................ 36Carousel Education, 1964-2010 ................. 38In Memoriam, 1974-2010 ......................... 40Top Auction Prices, 1985-2010 ................. 42Carousel Classifieds ................................ 44

Inside this issue:

The Carousel News & Trader11001 Peoria Street • Sun Valley, CA 91352-1631

Phone/Fax: 818-332-7944Email: [email protected]

Web: http://www.carouselnews.com

Subscriptions: (12 Issues per year)

$35 per year U.S. • $65 two years$55 per year Canada • $95 per year Foreign

(U.S. funds)

Daniel Horenberger ..................................... PublisherRoland Hopkins ................................. Managing EditorLisa McDonald ........................................... Controller

Contributors: Lourinda Bray, Leah Farnsworth, Marianne Stevens,

Marsha Schloesser, John Caruso, Jim Weaver,Bill Benjamin, Richard Concepcion

Founding Editor, Nancy Lynn Loucks (1985-1992)

ON THE COVER:

Charles I. D. Looff

stands proudly aboard

the first carousel on

Coney Island, installed

in 1876. Doubtful he

knew how many would

follow. He was just 24.

CN&T/Fraley Archive photo

September, 2010Vol. 26, No. 9

THE CAROUSEL NEWS & TRADER, 11001 Peoria Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352-1631 Phone/Fax (818) 332-7944. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: U.S., $35.00 per year; Canada, $55.00 in U.S. funds; all other foreign, $95.00 in U.S. funds. (No foreign checks accepted). U.S. dollar Money Orders, American Express, VISA, MasterCard and Discover are accepted.Back issues: See ad in this issue. Publishing monthly by The Carousel News & Trader, LLC Founding Editor: Nancy Lynn Loucks, 1985 to 1992. Publisher: Daniel Horenberger. Managing Editor: Roland Hopkins. Contributors: Lourinda Bray, Leah Farnsworth, Marsha Schloesser, John Caruso.Printed at Johnson Press in Pontiac, IL.Regular Contributing Writers: As submitted.Regular Contributing Photographers: As submitted. The views and opinions expressed by contributors to this publication are not necessarily those of the editor. The Carousel News & Trader reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication.THE CAROUSEL NEWS & TRADER is published by The Carousel News & Trader 11001 Peoria Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352. Email: [email protected], web: www.carouselnews.comSTANDARD RATE POSTAGE paid at print/mailing facility.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE CAROUSEL NEWS & TRADER, 11001 Peoria Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352-1631.

30 horses. New sweeps and platforms.Set up for outdoor use. Located on East Coast.

Up and running ready to go. Delivery and installation available.

Price $75,000Call 818-394-0028

Or Email [email protected] for pictures and details.

Allan Herschell Carousel


These are little bits of infor-mation that come across my desk. Some will become bigger stories in future issues of the CN&T; others are just passed-along information.

Brass Ring

From Dan’s DeskMessage from the publisher, Dan Horenberger

George SchottP.O. Box 9340

Auburn, ME 04210Call (207) 946-7972

or (207) 754-3630

Looking for substantial figures to place on a historic operating

carousel. Carmel, Muller,

Dentzel, PTC, S&G, Illions. Armored.

It was a long winter, then somehow spring slipped away and now it’s late summer. I lived most of the last few months on the East Coast working. Sorry for the lack of Dan’s Desk during that time.

Gearing Up Back EastWe made all new gears and bearings for the carousel

at Union, NY. It’s been disabled for years but now is 100% and full of fun. The carousel at Johnson City is also open again. Just two of the few FREE ride carousels in the coun-try along with all of the other Binghamton area machines.

We’ve almost finished making PTC #18 at the Carou-sel Center Mall in Syracuse 100%. Since its restoration in 1990, it’s never had all of the animals jumping or working properly. We made all new crankshafts and now all of the animals are jumping again. It needs a few more tweaks to

make it run better. A new motor drive is being added along with handicapped accessibility in the coming weeks. This will bring this historic machine up to modern standards. Su-san Germain is doing a great job restoring the animals right now. This machine has never looked or run better.

Besides getting several other carousels up for summer, the hardest job we had was all new gears for the Looff car-ousel at Crescent Park. These are the hardest gears in the carousel world to make. Most carousels just have a lower gear and pinions. This machine has an upper and lower center gear with the pinion gears sandwiched in-between. It

The new gears in place at Crescent Park.


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was a tough engineering job, but the carousel is up and run-ning like new. The great part of the job was working with Ed Serowik and his son. Ed worked for Mrs. Looff. Yes, the Mrs. Looff. Need I say more. A complete story in later months. Worth the read.

25 Years...I need to ad-

dress and say thank you to all of our subscrib-ers. This is the 25th anniversa-ry of the maga-zine. I may not have owned it that long but I have been read-ing it that long.

I remember meeting Nancy Loucks at the Big Apple auc-tion put on by Guernseys in NYC in 1986. She was a ball of energy and brought all of us together. She is dearly missed. Without Nancy and her husband Walter, the carousel world would be in a completely different place today. They brought carousel news to our doorsteps long before the internet.

We try hard, but we will never be able to recreate her infectious enthusiasm. Thank you Nancy and Walter for all you have done.

Gurnsey’s Auction Sept. 25But, as things change, they also remain the same. This

month Guernsey’s is having another auction in NYC. A nice big individual animal sale. We haven’t had one for awhile. Thankfully, all of the complete carousels that have been available have been saved for some time. Here’s a chance to get a collector quality carousel animal. See page 5 for details. With the outlook promising that the few remaining whole carousels will remain intact, we only have so many individual carousel animals that will ever be available for private collections.

Quality carousel animals are becoming harder to find. Maybe using carousel animals as investments will start to follow as demand grows and supply fades away.

Fall into IAAPAWith summer over, the amusement park silly season

starts. Lots of news and rumors. We’ll keep you up to date as much as we can. It’s going to be a busy off season for ev-eryone in the business. I need to start laying out our booth for IAAPA. Where does the time go? With carousels going counter clockwise you would think time may go backwards. Maybe there’s a movie idea there. Too late, it’s been done. If you ever want to see a fun family carousel movie watch Something Wicked This Way Comes. You get to see the best Parker carousel ever made, owned by Dave Bradley at the time, and once operated at Santa Monica Pier in CA. The animals live on today in fiberglass on many of the new Chance carousels you see in malls.


Notes from Marianne...By Marianne StevensCarousel Historian, Co-Author of “Painted Ponies.”Marianne Stevens poses on her prized Looff carousel at Shore-line Village in Long Beach, CA in the 1990s.

Save Our Wooden CarouselsHAPPY 25tH AnniversArY!

Sandy & Gary 978-534-4538Leominster, MA

Carousel CalendarAUCTIONS

September 25, 2010 - 2 p.m.New York, NY. The Auction. Approximately 45 horses and menagerie figures from the legendary century-old carving studios of Dentzel, Carmel, Stein & Goldstein, Muller, Il-lions, Looff, Parker and PTC. Preview: Fri. 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Auction: Sat. 2 p.m. The Park Avenue Armory, NYC. Phone bidding and online bidding available. Catalog on disc: $10. Guernsey’s, (212) 794-2280; [email protected]; www.guernseys.com.

November 13, 2010Auburn, IN. Norton’s Annual Consignment Auction. Carousel figures, carnival rides, amusement park rides, full carousels, band organs and all related amusement equipment and collectibles. Consign early for maximum advertising exposure. Brochure deadline is Oct. 15. For information and consignment package contact Norton Auc-tioneers, www.nortonauctioneers.com, (517) 279-9063.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Sept. 21-26, 2010 Spokane, WA. NCA 2010 Carousel Convention, Visit the 100 year old Spokane Riverfront Looff and numerous other carousels and landmarks in Washington, Montana and Idaho. Visit www.nca-usa.org for information.

Sept. 24 - Oct. 17, 2010Dallas, TX. State Fair of Texas, Fair Park. Once-a-year chance to ride the historic 1920s Dentzel carousel. The largest state fair in the U.S. dating back to 1886. For infor-mation, call (214) 565-9931 or visit www.bigtex.com..

Nov. 15-19, 2010 Orlando, FL. 2010 IAAPA Attractions Expo. Orange County Convention Center. Visit www.IAAPA.org.

Through Dec. 31, 2010Sandusky, OH. “Wild!” The Merry-Go-Round Museum’s 2010 exhibit displays rare carousel animals from several private collections. “Wild!” kicks off the museum’s 20th birth-day celebration with additional events planned through the year. (419) 626-6111 or www.merrygoroundmusem.org.

COAA BAND ORGAN RALLYSCOAA is devoted to enjoying, preserving, and sharing knowledge of all outdoor mechanical musical instruments, including band, fair, street organs, calliopes, and hand-cranked organs of all sizes.

October 15-17, 2010Weston, MO, All band organ enthusiasts are welcome to the Historic Weston Street Organ Muster. Come to histor-ic Weston with or without an instrument. For information visit www.westonmuster.com, contact Gordie Davidson at (913) 683-3645 or www.streetorgangrinder.com.

SEND US YOUR EVENTS!Fax to (818) 332-7944

or email [email protected].

Roland alerted me that he would be tight for space in this issue, trying to include all the things he wanted for the spe-cial anniversary edition. I guess I picked the wrong month to write five pages with a dozen or more pictures on all the Muller carousels. Roland and I decided to hold the article until next month when he can give it a proper amount of space. Instead of my column this month, I thought I would lend my support and show my appreciation with an ad.

Happy 25thCarousel News & Trader

Nancy’s Dream Come True! – Marianne Stevens


In July, we celebrated our 4th anniversary with the maga-zine; just long enough to real-ize how time does fly. I’ll be the first to admit that when I took over the magazine, I could not spell Looff. Luckily for me, I did know how to make a magazine from start to finish, and Dan could spell Looff and fill me in on a few thousand other things I should know.

To Dan, and to all of you, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for your patience and invaluable assistance in helping me make what I hope is a nice, and occasionally intelligent magazine every month over the past four years. In delving in and out of 300 issues, covering 25 years, over the past few weeks, I would like to thank those of you who have been with the magazine long before me and have been contributing all along. Thank you.

I hope you enjoy some of the things featured in this issue. Believe it or not, I have been thinking about this for over a year, and this is what I came up with. I wish I could tell all the stories, but that would be a book. When possible, the photos used are scanned from previous issues. What they lack in quality and clarity, I hope they make up for in nostalgia.

FROM THE EDITOR

It is a privilege to be at the helm of a magazine celebrat-ing its 25th anniversary. It’s a tall order as well. A tall order for anyone, really, but even more so for someone new.

Many of you have been part of the carousel world from the beginning of the magazine in 1985, and many of you long before that. Some of you were there when the modern “carouselmania” movement began. And some of you were among those instrumental in the beginnings of the modern appreciation of our antique carousels.

Myself, I have been on the carousel scene for just a few years. At first, as a day laborer for Dan and Brass Ring En-tertainment, on and off for a couple of years, (to support my screenwriting habit), and more recently, of course, as editor of the magazine.

In working for Dan as a “grunt”, I did learn a few things about carousels: how heavy they are, how greasy they are, and how you must find a Zen state of mind when sanding a carousel horse, (and kiss your fingertips goodbye).

I learned that when you are working on a full carousel, the Ibuprofen is for your back. When you are working on a carousel horse, the Ibuprofen is for your fingers.

CelebrAting 25 YeArs

At the Pen Argyl carousel, 2009 NCA Convention.

Barbara Fahs Charles photo


riding With the rabbitBy Richard Concepcion

with Lisa Pisano Haley

Reminiscing about Bill MangelsThis past April, Bill Mangels passed away.

He was the direct grandson of William F. Mangels, Coney Island’s great builder of amusement rides and carousels, and for a time, Bill painted carousel horses in his grandfa-ther’s factory. In his presence you couldn’t help feeling that you were with an elder statesman and witness to the history of the amusement industry as it sprang from Coney Island, in particular the art of the carousel. Indeed it was the late Fred Fried, founder of the carousel preservation movement and a close friend of Bill, who introduced him to us at an NCA convention and meetings in New York.

Bill, along with his wife, Dot Mangels, became close friends of ours as well. He always had an interesting story to tell – my favorite being about when he was younger, and would paint horses for his grandfa-ther in the Mangels shop. They were the little metal Mangels kiddie ride horses. He would sometimes take his time painting them, and when his grandfather would “catch him wasting time” on the horses, he would wave his cane and Bill and shout “paint faster Bill!”

Bill and Dot shared some memo-rable times with us. He would attend meetings with us along with Tony Simpson, Ruth Peterkin, and others at Fred Fried’s apartment when we were working on the Northeast Chap-ter of the NCA. Once we all went together to Nunleys Car-ousel in Baldwin, NY, on Long Island. We all enjoyed some hamburgers and rode on the Stein & Goldstein carousel. We saw Gavin McDonough building a new organ for Rye Playland’s carousel in his shop. We all enjoyed an good laugh when Playland staff sign painter, Larry McGowan, used his piano playing talents to demonstrate what a carou-sel band organ would sound like if its paper roll was tracking out of alignment – those were fun times.

After another NCA/NE meeting at Fred Fried’s, we all went to Central Park to ride the carousel, and sadly this would turn out to be the last time we would all see our friend Fred Fried alive.

We attended the 1994 National Carousel Convention in Colorado and rode on PTC #6 together in Burlington, as well as the full-size Mangels Whip Ride at Lakeside Park in Denver. Lisa remembers Bill putting his arm over the back

Tammy Abramson, Noreene Sweeney and Bill Mangels spin in the tub on Pueblo’s C. W. Parker #72 during the 1994 NCA Convention in Colorado. (CNT 10-1994)

of the seat on the Whip and saying to her, “Now you get to ride in a real Mangels Whip with Bill Mangels!” What a ride. We laughed the whole time.

Indeed, there are several classic amusement parks that I have visited this season which still have a Mangels Whip, with each car having an oval plate bearing the Mangels name from Coney Island.

Bill and Dot always sent us Christmas cards for the holi-days. In our Christmas cards to them, Lisa would often use photos of vintage Mangels rides she had photographed that

summer with her son. The last time we both saw Bill and

Dot was at the Coney Island Hall of Fame ceremony in 2005, sponsored by the Coney Island History Project, led by Charles Denson who authored “Coney Island Lost & Found”. I was the one who put Charles in touch with Bill, so Bill could be present for the occasion as his grandfather was honored for his role in the resort’s and amusement industry’s color-ful history. We both felt personally proud to have made it possible for Bill to accept the awards on behalf of his

grandfather’s achievements that day and to hear Charles Denson declaring from the podium “William Mangels...back again in Coney Island!” I also interviewed Bill for the Rapid T. Rabbit Show on cable TV during the ceremonies.

When one hears the word “treasure”, they often think of a piece of fine art hanging in a museum, a skillfully crafted statue or delicately crafted piece of jewelry glittering with gold and precious stones. But we knew a person who was a true treasure – more wonderful than a piece of art – he spar-kled more than any gold or jewels could. He was filled with a wealth of stories, information, knowledge and friendship. He made the world a brighter place and brought happiness to all around him – he made us smile. How much richer our lives are now, having had the honor to have known Bill Man-gels, heard his stories, and shared good times with him. How much poorer the whole world is now that he is gone. Bill will be missed by us and all the lives he has touched.

William F. Mangels, III1925 - 2010

Bill Mangels with Rapid T. Rabbit in 2005.


A n t i q u e C a r o u s e l s . c o mA n t i q u e C a r o u s e l s . c o m

Call 818-394-0028 or email [email protected] for more information

Dentzel E. Joy MorrisE. Joy Morris

LooffIllionsPTC

Dentzel rabbit from House on the Rock$27,500

E. Joy Morris painted by Lise Lipeman with King Herod cherub angel head with wings

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Looff Camel$13,500

PTC stander in colored stains painted by Pam Hessey; from Pine Grove Park

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Peek-a-boo mane with double parrot backed saddle. Painted by Pam Hessey.

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23rd Annual Carousel Festival, Sept. 18-19 to Feature Dentzel Museum Exhibit

burlington, nC, Dentzel Carousel Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Roney Cates is among the first to ride on the carousel when it opened in Burlington, Oct. 9, 1948.

When someone asks, “What is there to do in North Carolina” the responses are infinite. When you ask the same question to a local in Burlington,

North Carolina there is one activity that is repeated time and again - We just love riding the Dentzel Carousel in the Burlington City Park.

The Carousel and it’s music is like a magnet - when the carousel opens, its music can be heard for almost a mile away - telling everyone that summer has arrived. People young and old flock to the carousel but for many different reasons - not only for a ride in the park, but also for ac-tivities both unique and very personal, including proposals of marriage, family outings and reunions, memorable prom

By Diane VaughtSpecial to The Carousel News & Trader

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The Burlington, NC, carousel is used to crowds shown here in 1997 during the annual Carousel Festival. The first sample issue of “The Carousel Trader” was distributed here during the 1985 NCA convention. The NCA would return to Burling-ton for their 1998 Silver Anniversary Convention.


pictures, school outings for children of all ages, Christmas pictures, art project by local high school students, the cen-terpiece of the annual Burlington Carousel Festivals and two NCA National Conventions. It’s the place for grandpar-ents with the grandkids and also the “place to come back to” after one has moved elsewhere. A place where memories will always be close to the heart!

This year, Burlington’s Dentzel City Park Carousel cel-ebrates 100 years of memories and is still going strong. The 100th anniversary celebration will take place during the 23rd Burlington Carousel Festival held in the Burlington City Park on Saturday, September 18th from 10 am-6 pm and Sunday, September 19th from 1-6 pm.

The Highlight of the Festival will be a Dentzel Carousel Museum Tent set up with live presentations of the history, restoration and mechanics of Burlington’s carousel, as well as the history of the Dentzel family. William Dentzel, III, great nephew of William Dentzel (whose shop carved the Burlington, NC, Dentzel) will join Diane Vaught and others as they show pictures from the past and relay information about how and where and by whom our carousel was made so long ago! Bill Dentzel will be on hand at various times on Saturday to sign Festival programs and any pictures.

The Museum Tent will also feature large 4x8 panels con-taining pictures and memorabilia from 1948 to the present which will be joined by several Dentzel and Muller horses and a chariot from the former North Park Carousel in Burl-ington, NC.

The 23rd festival this year will feature Antiques, Art & Collectibles and will have two days of live music and ac-tivities for young and old alike and delicious down home cooking. All parks rides, including the carousel are free and Saturday night will feature the new Aussie singing group, the McClymonts. The three-girl group are in the style of the Dixie Chicks.

Did you know it was at the 1985 NCA Convention in Bur-lington, NC, when The Carousel News and Trader was first presented and was born? It was just a few pages of paper stapled together – but soon turned into a beautiful full-color magazine. This year the CN&T will be celebrating its 25th anniversary while Burlington celebrates its 100th. Quite an achievement for both our carousel and their magazine.

The one hundred years of our carousel also brings de-cades of history to life. The journey begins with Jacob, and then Gustav Dentzel’s move from Germany to Philly, hoping that carousels would be welcomed into the leisure culture. In the 1860s, Gustav received a shipment of unpainted car-ousel animals from his father in Germany and in 1867, Gus-tav’s storefront sign changed from reading cabinetmaker to read G.A. Dentzel Steam & Horsepower Carousel Builder. The Dentzel carousel was on its way to charm the hearts of Americans.

Eighty-one years later, Burlington’s City Manager, Wil-liam H. Carper, placed an ad in the March 1948 issue of Billboard magazine wishing to offer more family recreation facilities in Burlington by purchasing a “merry-go-round”. Numerous offers came in, but the one with the winning bid came from Genoa, OH. In an April 3, 1948 letter, then own-

The Burlington Dentzel shown here in 1984, one year before the NCA would visit along with Nancy and Walter Loucks and “The Carousel Trader”. Diane Vaught (left) who championed the carousel’s long,

painstaking restoration from 1979 to 1983 along with her good friend, carousel restoration expert, Rosa Ragan. Photo from the 1994 NCA Tech Conference, chaired by Rosa and held in Meridian, MS. (CNT 6-94)

Townsfolk converge upon the carousel on its opening day in Burlington in October, 1948.


er, Carl J. Uthoff, describes to Burlington’s City Manager that he had “a most beautiful machine” that “could be made to look like a million if horses, etc., were repainted.” $3,500 later, the City of Burlington became the proud owners of this wonderful machine, sold to the city as an Allan Herschell, but later learned to be a Dentzel.

Finally, on October 8, 1948, Burlington’s new carousel opened with much support and excitement from the public. Within the first ten days, 12,000 tickets at a nickel apiece had been sold. The menagerie of animals front and cen-ter of City Park bore wind, rain, snow and missteps of then staff, unaware of the maintenance and care needed for such rare and delicate handcrafted carousel animals. In the early ‘80s, the local Alamance County Service League took notice of the hometown’s very own treasure. Leading the charge, Diane Vaught, new to the area, young mom and chairman of the community Service Committee approached

the Recreation & Parks Director, Joe Davidson, requesting the carousel as a project for the Service League. Happy to have helping hands, Mr. Davidson welcomed the idea to get the carousel moving again. Mrs. Vaught spent 1981 to 1985 learning everything she could, researching the ph of the wood, finding consolidators, putties and paint types most compatible as well as the method for restoring the original oil paintings. Next came the mechanics and finding sources for making new gears, roller bearings, brass bushings, etc., and finding experts in helping repair and take apart and put back everything mechanical. It has been stated that Mrs. Vaught found the “right chemistry to restore the carousel.” She and her team of paid and volunteer personnel restored the animals to their original glory, the rounding boards to their original scenes, not to mention they took the entire gear assembly and top “race” apart, finding local businesses to manufacture duplicate parts needed to get the jumpers and carousel moving again. Almost everything new was proudly made or repaired locally – right in Alamance and Guilford Counties of NC. The tireless work continued through cold winter days and long summer nights, until finally in April 1983, Burlington celebrated the re-opening of the carousel. And the paint has lasted, except for touch ups – for these past 27 years.

The Burlington Dentzel Carousel is a menagerie consist-ing of 26 horses, a giraffe, a tiger, a lion, a deer and four each of cats, rabbits, pigs and ostriches, and not to be left out are two chariots. The counter-clockwise spin turns with the melodies from a custom made pipe organ handcrafted by Don Stinson of Stinson’s Pipe Organ Company. After this last restoration, the Recreation & Parks Department protected the carousel with rolling doors which have per-formed their job well by protecting it from the elements of southern hot humid weather.

With the honor of being on the National Register of His-toric Places, and having been given a plaque from the Na-tional Carousel Association in recognition of the restoration and preservation project, Burlington’s historic Dentzel car-ousel, one of the top activities for what to do in Burlington, is hopefully protected for years to come.

Outside row stander with jumping rabbits behind, taken at the 1998 NCA Silver Anniversary convention.

Dentzel lion on the Burlington carousel in 1998.

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Outside row stander with helmet and sword, jumping cats behind. John Caruso 1998 photo


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We welcome you to our 100th Anniversary Celebration in September, or perhaps visit Burlington and it’s Dentzel any time “Carolina” is on your mind. The annual Carousel Festivals are held the 3rd weekend of each September with this year’s event marking the 23rd Festival.

When you visit Burlington’s carousel, you, too, are sure to agree with now City Manager, Harold Owens’s comment, “The carousel is truly a special facility for our city.”

For information: (336) 222-5030.

Do you enjoyCarousel Organ,Calliope or Street

Organ Music?

If “Yes”, join the

COAA(Carousel Organ Association of America)

* Four to five organ rallies a year* Four issues of the Carousel Organ (a 44-page journal filled with technical and historical articles as well as advertisements) a year plus the Special Rally Edition (photo reports of rallies).* All for $30.00 (US); $35.00 (Can.); $45 (overseas)* Membership: Mike Schoeppner, COAA Treasurer 12906 Raytown Rd Kansas City, MO 64149 [email protected]

www.COAA.us

Burlington’s historic Dentzel carousel spiffed up in this re-cent photo, ready for its 100th birthday celebration.


From an Eight Page, Hand-Typed Handout to 300 Issues and Counting

nancy loucks’ Dream lives on as the Cn&t Celebrates 25 Years

First, I would like to say congratulations and thank you to Dan Horenberger, Publisher, and Roland Hopkins, Editor, for continuing to publish The Carousel News & Trader. I can attest to the fact that it is an investment of many, many hours of time and resources to produce what they are providing for you all. For years, many of you asked me to provide more history and these guys are doing that. It would appear that the days of multiple auctions and events are past, so I hope you will enjoy and promote the history, which will be forever. Some of you have been supporters of the magazine from the beginning, and I want to thank you for that love and support. For those who may wonder, I am living in Florida and sup-

By Walter LoucksPast Editor/Publisher, The Carousel News & Trader,

Carousel News & Trader founder, editor and publisher, Nancy Loucks, admires a beautifully restored Illions at the home of Rol and Jo Summit in Rolling Hills, CA, in the late 1980s.

posed to be retired. However, I do volunteer work and people found out what I used to do, so now I do newsletters, grant writing and handyman projects for non-profits. I’d rather stay busy anyway.

1985 – The Carousel Trader, as it was known then, was one of these ventures that literally started on a kitchen table, in, of all unlikely places, Marcellus, Michigan, not a carousel within 100 miles. The person who really started it was my late wife Nancy Lynn (Glace) Loucks. When I met Nancy in 1969 she was a horse lover, extraordinaire. She owned 14 horses. We were married in 1971 and at one point had 28 horses. I decided to buy her a carousel horse because of her love of horses. Our first carousel event was a Norton auction. We did not buy anything that trip but she came home and had found a new love for horses of a different kind. She was the kind of


person that jumped into things with both feet, so she soon exhausted all available resources.

So, she was determined to put together a “newsletter” to tie all the carousel people together with a single source for news and events. The question was, “Would people be inter-ested?” To find out she typed up a four page newsletter and we had 1,000 copies printed at our local weekly newspaper office.

It was tagged as Vol. 1 No.1, September 1985 – The Car-ousel Trader. We took it to a National Carousel Association Convention in Burlington, North Carolina, in the fall of 1985, and handed them out free. I remember a few of the “carou-sel” people wondered who we were. The initial subscription rate was $12 per year. Within a couple of months we had 300 subscribers. It soon went to 900 and we had a magazine. At the peak of the carousel madness we had over 5,000 sub-scribers all over the U.S., Canada and a half-dozen other countries.

A side bar that few people knew at the time was that Nan-cy already had her initial cancer diagnosis in the summer of 1985, before she started the magazine. This was the best therapy she could ever have had; a real purpose and con-tinual goals she set for herself. She sought to see that next carousel and see what record may be set at the next auction. She had an amazing mind for these incredible art figures. She would see an animal and could tell you what carousel it was from and how much it sold for at a previous auction.

In 1988, my toolmaker job at a GM plant was lost due to a plant closing. The magazine was keeping us both busy so we both went full-time with it. In 1989, we visited Mansfield,

OH, and seeing what was going on there, in regards to a downtown carousel project, we decided to move the maga-zine to Mansfield. We were blessed with Linda Hutcheson coming on board with her graphic design skills and Noreene Sweeney with her writing skills. The magazine was always a home-based venture, as we produced it from our basement. We never did our own printing, but did our own mailing.

I remember getting our first Mac computers. What a step up from cut-and-paste, and no more type setting. Our first color issue was done in December 1987, when a company called Rotocast contacted us and wanted the back cover, in color. This also provided the opportunity to do color covers. Since it was December, we were blessed to have that Christ-mas cover, and all Decembers following, produced and de-signed for us by carousel restoration artist, Tony Orlando. We also decided to do a “Buyer’s Guide” issue each April, which was a great hit. Next came a “Carver’s” issue, as there were so many wood carvers trying their hand at this art form.

In 1992, after the cancer had returned twice, Nancy went home to be with the Lord. He was her first Love and even in her short life His purpose was completed. I honestly never thought very long or hard about whether to keep the maga-zine going. In fact, some of you threatened to find me if I quit.

There was obviously a need and desire for this resource. With the help of Noreene Sweeney and Linda Hutcheson, we kept them coming. I would be remiss if I did not thank many of you for your contributions and support with subscriptions, news items, stories and ads. I often looked at them after they were printed and thought, “Wow we did another one”.

By the summer of 2006, I was looking to retire. I was hop-ing to find someone to take it over and give the magazine some new and fresh ideas and support. Dan Horenberger called me and said we needed to talk. After a few weeks, we agreed on a plan, and The Carousel News & Trader was headed for California.

I hope the magazine continues for another 25 years plus, as it is a very unique publication and fills a definite niche.

Thank you, and God bless.Walter Loucks, [email protected]

Walter Loucks (left) and Bill Manns enjoy some real horse time on Bill’s ranch in New Mexico in 2000.

Nancy on the carousel she helped place at Dollywood. The 1924 Dentzel is now back in Lancaster, PA, in storage.

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Lynne Beckett , Tommy Sciortino (of Tampa), Nancy (stand-ing), Judy Benson, and Walter Loucks. 1991 in Walt and Nancy’s home in Mansfield, OH. Bill Manns photo

I first heard of The Carousel News & Trader back in 1989, after seeing the Charlotte Dinger “Grab the Brass Ring” ex-hibit in Baltimore, MD. I contacted Nancy Loucks, the editor, and she sent me a sample copy. From that point on, I was hooked, and soon began writing articles for the magazine.

I didn’t get to meet Nancy Loucks until 1990, at the Mor-gantown, PA, auction of a 1903 C. W. Parker carousel. She told me how her husband, Walt, made the 8+ hour drive to eastern Pennsylvania while she worked on the magazine in their van. That was Nancy, working every waking moment, always one step ahead.

Nancy was a dreamer who would not take “no” for an an-swer; a real visionary with so many ideas and plans. Nothing was impossible in her eyes; she must have known she didn’t have much time, and there was so much she wanted to ac-complish.

Walt was the down-to-earth one who went along for the ride and kept them well grounded. Together this team man-aged to create a magazine, at first from their kitchen table, then relocated to Ohio where they set up a gift store and continued to produce the monthly magazine. Walt was the foundation, working quietly in the background, handling the accounts and subscribers, the mailings and all the other op-erational aspects. They put in 18 hour days and more, work-ing tirelessly or way past tired.

Upon moving to Mansfield, OH, they added Linda Hutcheson to the magazine roster. Linda, with a background in graphic arts and design, brought her talents to the team in laying out the ads and the stories, often working right up until the moment the materials went to the printer. Then I came along, quitting my job at a mental health clinic, (what was I thinking?), and signing on as the magazine’s only full-time employee in May 1992. My timing was ironic; Nancy lost her battle to breast cancer just when I came on staff.

Working from my home in Pennsylvania throughout the

month, I commuted to Ohio to help Walt and Linda pull it all together, usually for 5-7 days at a time. There were so many challenges – the magazine had always been Nancy’s life-blood, and here we were trying to fill her shoes and keep her dream going. The responsibility was overwhelming, but we had subscribers who believed in the dream, and we had to give it our all.

By 1996, I was able to end my monthly commute to Ohio, thanks to the Internet and advances in computer technology. I scaled back my involvement over time, until 2006, when Walt was ready to let the magazine take wings and head in a new direction. This time it went west, all the way to California, where Brass Ring Entertainment’s owner Dan Horenberger, and editor Roland Hopkins, have assumed the reins.

The CN&T began as a small black and white newslet-ter. It has moved ahead to a full-color magazine with even more spectacular photography. Dan has obviously been able to coax some of the carousel world’s most knowledgeable people into contributing information from their archives, and thanks to the readers, the dream is still alive. Nancy would be so proud, as she always embraced new ideas and new tech-nology. And she was always open to input from the readers, from their poems and letters to articles about their carousels and memories.

Walt now enjoys the warmer climes of sunny Florida, and is able to devote his attentions to his new callings. Letting go of the magazine was bittersweet, but he knew it would be in good hands.

Thank you, CN&T, for a great ride, and for allowing me to be part of your history. Someday I hope to write a new chapter for you, about our beautiful former Rocky Springs Carousel; one that Nancy herself helped place at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN, when the amusement park closed. It’s back in Lancaster, PA, now, still in storage, but we won’t give up. Neither will The Carousel News & Trader. Here’s to an-other 25 fantastic years of going ‘round and round.

Noreene Sweeney, [email protected]

By Noreene SweeneyAssociate Editor, The Carousel News & Trader, 1992-2007

Noreene Sweeney joined the CN&T in the spring of ‘92.


16 Wonderful YearsBy Linda Hutcheson Around 1988 I became a subscriber to The Carousel

News & Trader magazine. I had a life-long love of carousels in part because I was both a horse lover and an artist. I have owned and shown purebred Arabians and have a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic De-sign. Carousels were the ideal combination of both my main interests.

Shortly after becoming a subscriber, I read the announcement that CN&T was moving to Mansfield, OH. I had recently be-gun my own business as a freelance graphic designer after years of working with ad agen-cies. I nervously called the contact number in the magazine and found myself talking to Nancy Loucks. I offered my services and she was very interested. She explained how they produced the magazine on one of those weird new computers…a Macintosh.

I rushed to Columbus to the largest computer store in the area. I had never worked on a computer before so this was all new territory. I went home with a new Mac Plus and sev-eral expensive software applications. I still regret not buy-ing the ‘Smack a Mac’ doll. I could have used it those first couple of months.

I believe the first issue I worked on was the February 1990 issue. I began with ad layouts and eventually moved up to story layouts. Nancy was a wonderful, patient teacher. While I learned my way around the computer and the software, I would constantly call her in a panic as I lost a file, lost a para-graph, etc. Eventually I learned so much about Apple com-puters that now I can take them apart and rebuild them, and I’ve never met an application I couldn’t master in a matter of a few days. In those days we still put the photos on the text pages with wax. When I bought a scanner we did less and less paste up. In the end, the entire magazine was created

on a computer and sent to the printer on a CD disc.Walter and Nancy were generous with taking me on trips

where I learned so much about the beautiful car-ousels we were preserving in print. I attended conventions, auctions, and seminars. I even learned how to write a decent article or two. It was a wonderful way to get an education.

When Nancy became ill, I took on more and more of the magazine layout and design. It was a shock when we lost her. Keeping her dream alive was the best tribute we could give to this wonderful woman who gave so much of herself. I did the layout and design of every issue after her death, right up until the magazine went to California, save for one. My son, Alex, decided to arrive a few weeks early and I had just barely begun to work on the September 1992 issue. I

frantically pulled material off the computer and put it on discs for Walt only hours before delivering my first baby.

When Walt was ready to retire, I know he would have liked for me to take over the magazine, but as a wife and a mother, I wasn’t able to commit to something that requires so much time. Roland and Dan have done an amazing job of keeping this wonderful publication alive. I enjoy every issue.

I still dabble in design work. I oversaw my company’s web site and advertising literature, but I am currently the Environ-mental Management System Representative for CTR Elec-tronics Recycling. I maintain our ISO 14001 Environmental Management certification. I am still a horse lover and cur-rently own a 33.5” tall American Miniature Horse gelding who is a wonderful driving horse. He’s been in numerous parades and we participated in the 2009 National Drive at the Ken-tucky Horse Park.

Linda Hutcheson, [email protected]

Jerry Betts, shown here on the Wyandot Lake Illions which he was helping to raise restoration funds for, joined CN&T in February, 1990 as “traveling photographer, reporter and sales representative”. Sadly, just three months later, the CN&T would be reporting his sudden and untimely death.

Linda Hutcheson at Richland Carousel Park, 1995.

Newsman, Ben Morriston, was a frequent contributor to the CN&T in the early days.


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CN&T! Dear Carousel News And Trader,Congratulations on your twenty-fifth anniversary. It is

hard to believe that you have been coming into our home for 25 years. In perspective, that is over one third of my lifetime, and longer than any of our children lived with us.

I believe that Nancy would be very pleased to see that her plan for you to be a monthly magazine where the carousel community can share history, photos, sales, coming events and passing good-bys, has continued and grown to be what you are today. The first time that I met Nancy and Walter

Loucks was when we had dinner together at the April, 1988 Bob Kissel auction in Ohio, which I had learned about in the CN&T. This was my first auction, and I brought home the two Allan Herschell donkeys that were in the sale. I was asked to write an article about them when they were restored, which I finally did in your April,2003 issue, with additional photos by Steve Crescenze, who had done the restoration.

I would like to thank all of the people who came forward with articles and photographs for you when Nancy could no longer continue her role of editor, including Noreene and Mike Sweeney and the late Jerry Betts. Of course, the big-gest thank you would go to Walter Loucks, who continued to publish you until he later put you into the hands of Daniel Horenberger, your new publisher, whose life is surrounded with carousels. In your July/Aug. 2006 issue, Dan wrote about his plans for you. They seemed to promise some big changes, and they have happened. Thank you, Dan for all that you have done, including making Roland Hopkins your managing editor.

Roland has been able to get so many of us to actually write about the carousel history that we have researched for years. It is wonderful to have a way to share the stories and photos, and then have other people later add to the rest of the story. All of the articles about new carousels, and the restoration and installation of older carousels, keeps you from being just a history magazine. Your coverage of things from auction results to zoo carousels is great, and articles about foreign carousels and convention coverage allows the armchair traveler a way to see things that they never would. Since my April, 2007 article Roland’s patience and persever-ance have kept me writing. With all of the wonderful articles that appear in your pages, we can see that he has reached out to many carousel people from all parts of our country who have a wealth of carousel knowledge. Thank you, Ro-land, and thanks to all of you who write and send photos and advertise in the CN&T.

Carousel News and Trader, I believe that you are in good hands. It has been a great 25 years together.

See you next month. Yours truly, Leah Farnsworth

I heard that Nancy had made a decision early on that she would not put people on the cover of CN&T. She would first break her own rule for Carol Perron (on PTC #15) in April 1986, and then again in Jan. 1992 (shown above) for Carol and her Looff. The only other people to appear on a cover of CN&T were Dolly Parton (Feb. ‘90), and Joe Leonard (Mar. ‘92). Then, sadly, Nancy in July ‘92. But for a few volunteer carvers, no one has been featured on a cover since. Safe to say that Carol’s record of two covers will stand the test of time.

Author, historian, and restoration expert, Tobin Fraley, has been a great contributor to the magazine from the start.

Leah and Peter Farnsworth with Pat Baker riding the Lake Compounce carousel during the 1992 NCA Convention.


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By Roland HopkinsThe Carousel News & Trader

An OvervieW OF CArOusels sAveD AnD CArOusels lOst: 1964-2010

Illions jumpers ride along side Allan Herschell and Arrow Development figures aboard the Flying Horses Carousel at Atlantic Beach Park in Misquamicut Beach, RI. This is one of the few machines that manages to be on both the Carousels Saved and Carousels Lost list, the figures ride aboard the Herschell-Spillman two-level platform from Rocky Point, RI.

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It was mentioned to me a while back that it would be interesting to see a list of all of the carousels that have been lost in modern times. Interesting for sure, but a bit morbid in carousel terms, I thought. But,

what if we ran it along side a list of carousels saved? Well, a year or so ago, I decided that would be the content of the 25th Anniversary issue; a modern timeline of antique wooden carousels, lost and saved.

Great idea, but where would the lists come from? Marianne Ste-vens offered a list of wooden carousels lost dating back to the early ‘70s by maker and park, but no year. Then, Jean Bennett, the quiet researcher extraordinaire, offered her list, with dates, parks and mak-ers, dating to 1964. This was perfect, as I felt that the lists should begin with the publishing of Fred Fried’s book, which I consider the begin-ning of the modern era of antique wooden carousels.

Now, to find someone to have a look at Jean’s list, as she was certain it was incomplete, and to find a list of carousels saved. The list of carousels saved is easy – all of them. But that would be a long list, and not really work in a timeline. I figure that any wooden carousel that moved, (in a time when carousels were frequently breaking up), could be deemed a save. Given the cost of a new location and building, of physically moving the machine, and any restoration needed, yes, this was a save. Other carousels were clearly saved over the past 45 years that never moved at all. In fact, given the costs and concerns in upkeep and operation of a century old machine, all of our antique carousels are indeed saved every year they open up for one more season.

But, for this list, I went with the wooden carousels that made moves

and added a few widely known major restorations; there are so many more, I know, but we are just a magazine, not a book. With constraints of both space, and research time, this is the list I came up with.

I found some expert help in going over Jean’s Carousels Lost list and about 25 machines were added. I’m sure we missed a few, but I think it is pretty well covered.

Every one of these machines, lost or saved, has a great story be-hind it. I elaborated a bit on a few, but not all. That’s what the magazine is hopefully for, and why it comes out 12 times a year; to tell the great stories of the carousels of the past, and the carousel of the present.

I wanted to do something special for the 25th Anniversary, but what have I got to offer? I’ve only been around the carousel world for four years. What I’ve got is 25 years and 300 back issues of information.

Brian Morgan sent me an email commenting on one of last month’s stories. In my reply, I told him I had to be brief as I was working on the 25th Anniversary issue. He responded, “Good luck with summarizing everything reported on over the past 25 years.”

That about says it all. It can’t be done.That said, hopefully these lists, in themselves, offer some perspec-

tive on the recent past. What that perspective is, is up to the reader.I expect that there will be many comments, corrections and clarifi-

cations. I welcome them. I have a magazine to fill every month.I began the Carousel’s Saved list in 1963, as those were two impor-

tant machines, and 1964 offered none. The pictures used were some-what randomly chosen and, when possible, are from the magazine with (CNT 00-00) added to indicate the date of the issue it came from. Many, many great pictures could not be used, as they were printed in black and white, and would not scan well. Enjoy.


1876 Looff Menagerie Balmer’s Bathing Pavilion,Coney Island, NY

This is a later shot of the cover photo. If this photo is a few years later than the cover as it appears, Looff may have already installed his second carousel on Coney Island, placed at the Feltman restaurant complex around 1880. It is

said that Looff built his first three carousels entirely by himself.Photo courtesy of Bill Benjamin

1876 Looff Menagerie Balmer’s Bathing Pavilion,Coney Island, NY

This is a later shot of the cover photo. If this photo is a few years later than the cover as it appears, Looff may have already installed his second carousel on Coney Island, placed at the Feltman restaurant complex around 1880. It is

said that Looff built his first three carousels entirely by himself.Photo courtesy of Bill Benjamin


CAROUSELS LOST 1964-1973

Inside row jumper from Lake Contrary, shown here in 1988 in the collection of Karen Hunt. The c. 1902 52-figure Dentzel menagerie carousel was sold when the park failed in 1964. Mrs. Manning E. Grimes of St. Joseph, attended the auction in hopes of obtaining one or two horses for her grandchildren. To be certain that the figures stayed local, she ended up buy-ing the entire machine for $2,600. (CNT 1-88; 6-04)

1964 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Lake Contrary, St. Joseph, MO Dentzel D/AWalbridge Park, Toledo, OH Muller D/A 1965 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Ringling Museum, Sarasota, FL Looff D/A(Royal American Shows)Frederick Rd. Park, Baltimore, MD PTC #52 Fire1966 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Forest Park, Queens, NY Illions/Stein/Dentzel Fire 1967 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Fiesta Park, San Diego, CA Parker/PTC Sold Pen-Mar, MD Dentzel/Muller D/AOcean Grove, NJ Dentzel D/ABurlington, NC Dentzel/Muller D/AReynolds Park, Winston-Salem, NC H-S D/A1968 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––City Park, Buffalo, NY Dentzel Sold Carousel sold to Robert Long, Elmira, NY, approx. 1968. While in stor-age, a flood caused all the animals to come apart. Figures bought by Gray Tuttle in 1972 and reassembled.1969 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Old Orchard Beach, ME Dentzel Fire Sunset Park, Camden, NJ Carmel D/ARainbow Gardens, Pittsburgh PA Spilllman D/AOperated at Grand Strand Park, Myrtle Beach, SC, for 1969 season. Figures removed, mechanism sold to Marianne Stevens in the fall of 1969. Presently operating at Roswell, NM. 1970 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Sans Souci Park, Wilkes Barre, PA Looff D/AAltoona, PA Stein & Goldstein Sold 1971 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Long Beach , CA Derby Ride D/ANorumbega Park, Newton, MA Dentzel Sold A group of animals were saved after the park was bulldozed.Petersburg, VA Spillman D/AHorses sold to Disney, to in turn, be sold in their gift shop.1972 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Great Falls, VA Stein/Looff FloodLong Beach, NY Illions Supreme D/AShady Grove Park, Uniontown, PA Carmel Sold1973 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Ft. Wayne, IN PTC #13 D/A (from Hartford, CT)Goddard State Park, Greenwich, RI Looff D/AColumbia Gardens, Butte, MT Parker FireSylvan Beach, NY Looff D/A

One of two PTC wolves known. This one from PTC #13, the other from PTC #12, Crystal Beach. This wolf was restored by Tom Layton and featured in the June ‘01 issue.

Norumbega Park Dentzel lion. CNT cover April ‘96.

*D/A indicates that machine was dispersed or auctioned.


CAROUSELS SAVED 1963-1968

A Dentzel second row jumper aboard the carousel at Six Flags over Texas shown here in 1993. Six flags bought the carousel in 1963 for $25,000. The ride was in very rough shape after decades in storage. Six Flags’ artisans learned how to restore a carousel the hard way. After a single Muller horse sold for $57,000 in 1989, Six Flags proudly referred to the 66-horse ride as their “million dollar carousel”. (CNT 8-93).

1963 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––c.1890s U.S. Merry-Go-Round Co. - Portable All Hallows Guild Carousel, Washington National Cathedral, Wash-ington, DC. Carnival ride. Opened at Washington Cathedral in 1963.1926 Dentzel Silver Star Carousel, Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, TX. Last carousel made by William Dentzel & Co. From Rockaway Playland, Queens, NY. Sold to Six Flags Over Texas in 1963.1965 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1916 PTC #39Lake Winnepesaukah, Rossville, GA. From Southeastern Fairgrounds at Lakewood Park, Atlanta, GA. 1921 Prior & Church Racing Derby Cedar Downs, Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH. From Euclid Beach Park.1907 Dentzel Menagerie - 3-row Centreville, Toronto, ONT, Canada. From Bushkill Park, Easton, PA.1925 Allan Herschell Portable Meadowlake Park Carousel, Meadowlake Park, Enid, OK. From Hellum’s Amusement Park, Enid, OK, to Meadowlake Park in 1965.1966 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1917 PTC #43 - PortableWestern Washington Fair, Puyallup, WA. Only PTC portable in operation. Donated by Robert Bollinger to the fair in 1966.1920 Herschell-Spillman Menagerie Santa’s Workshop, North Pole, CO. From Crystal City Park, Tulsa, OK.1967 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––c.1917 Herschell-Spillman - Portable Circus World Museum, Baraboo, WI. From Bay Beach Park to High Cliff Park, WI. To Circus World Museum in 1967.c.1885 Bairolle-Belgique Portable Track La Ronde, Montreal, QC. Operated at 1964-’65 New York World’s Fair. To La Ronde in 1967. Restored in 2007.1900 Herschell-Spillman Steam-Track Portable Prairie Village, Madison, SD. Traveling carnival ride.1925 Allan Herschell Portable Menagerie Highland Park, Endwell, NY. One of six Broome County carousels given by George F. Johnson-provided that everyone could ride free. Relocated from Endicott, NY, to Endwell in 1967.1968 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1921 Dentzel MenagerieGlen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD. Still in its original location. Park closed in 1968, a public raised $80,000 to repurchase carousel.1903-08 Mangels-IllionsFlushing Meadows, Corona Park, Queens, NY. Frame, organ, chariots and 47 horses from Stubbman Carousel on Coney Island and 24 horses from Feltman’s were combined for the ‘64-65 World’s Fair.c.1921 Dentzel MenagerieKiddy Kingdom Carrousel, Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH. From Hunting Park, Germantown, PA.

Armored Illions jumper aboard the Flushing Meadows carou-sel. This is the only ride remaining in Flushing Meadows from the ‘64-65 World’s Fair. (12-90)

Roy Herschell enjoys a ride in Endicott, NY. (CNT 10-94)


Marianne Stevens restores the game bird horse from the Is-land Park, RI, (later Ocean Beach Park, CT) Looff. The weath-er damaged figures were replaced with metal figures in the 1970s. Four of the Island Park Looff horses were repaired and put back to use on the Looff at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. (CNT 12-01)

1973 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Lakeside Park, Syracuse, NY Looff D/AJohnstown, PA Dentzel D/A1974 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rockwell’s Kiddieland, Hawthorne, CA H-S D/ABenit’s Amus., Arnold’s Park, IA Muller D/AMarshall Hall, MD Carmel/Borelli Sold Figures sold as a group, mechanism, beyond repair, was scrapped.Edgewater Park, Detroit, MI Dentzel D/A1976 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Doodlebug Park, Scranton, PA Carmel D/ALincoln Park, Los Angeles, CA Spillman Fire Numerous outer row figures were off the machine for repairs.Ocean Beach, New London, CT Looff SoldOntalanee Park, New Tripoli, PA Harton/Muller/Dentzel SoldSix Gun Territory, Willow Grove, PA Illions D/A1977 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Westview Park, Pittsburgh, PA Muller D/AWilliams Grove, Mechanicsburg, PA Muller/Dentzel D/A Des Moines, IA Spillman D/AChain of Rocks Park, St Louis, MO PTC #63 Fire(from Willow Grove, PA) Circus Circus, Las Vegas, NV PTC #11 D/AMays Landing, NJ Dentzel D/AWildwood, NJ Carmel/Borelli D/ANewton Lake, Carbondale, PA Herschell-Spillman D/A1978 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Lenape Park, Westchester, PA Dentzel/Muller D/ABelmont Park, San Diego, CA Looff D/AFairyland Park, Kansas City, MO Dentzel D/ASportsland Pier, Wildwood, NJ Stein & Goldstein D/AMarine Pier, Wildwood, NJ PTC #41 D/A Krause’s Half Moon Beach, Crescent, NY Looff D/ABirch Hill Game Farm, Brewster, NY Dare SoldGrand Strand, Myrtle Beach, SC Herschell-Spillman SoldRebuilt in ‘75 with San Souci, PA, Looff mechanism. Sold by park in ‘78.1979 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Long Beach Pier, CA Looff D/ASalem Willows, Salem, MA Looff/Carmel D/APomona, CA Illions Kiddie D/AAdventureland, East Farmingdale, NY PTC/Looff D/A West Point Park, PA Looff D/A1980 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Queen’s Pike, Long Beach, CA Looff/Williams D/ABelmont Park, Montreal, CA PTC #70 D/ABeech Bend, Bowling Green, KY Dentzel D/A(from Tolchester, MD) Shermans Park, Caroga Lake, NY Carmel/Looff D/A


1895-1900 camel from Salem Willows. Cover Feb. ‘96.

Willow Grove armored Illions. Cover May. ‘98.


1968 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1910 Herschell-Spillman Menagerie Balboa Park, San Diego, CA. Major mechanical restorations in 2009.1900 German Springer Track - Portable Storyland, Glen, NH. From Europe to Canadian National Expo in Toronto, 1965 - 1967. Opened at Storyland in 1968.1969 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––c.1900s Dentzel Menagerie The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, IN. From Indianapolis parks. Acquired by the Children’s Museum in 1969. Opened in 1976.1911-12 Looff MenagerieHeritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich, MA. From Riverside, RI.1904 Herschell-Spillman - Track Portable Bowness Carousel, Heritage Park, Calgary, AB. From Louisville, KY, to Winnipeg Beach, MAN, to Bowness, AB.1970 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Spillman Engineering/Mix - Portable Riverside Park, Guelph, ONT. Traveled with Sullivan Shows, Canada, then Conklin & Garrett. Opened at Riverside Park in 1970.c.1920s Spillman Engineering - Portable Taylor Amusements, Staunton, VA. Traveling carnival machine.1971 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1926 PTC #79 King’s Island, OH. From Coney Island Park, Cincinnati, OH.1914 Dentzel Fair Park, Dallas, TX. From Reading, PA.1910 D.C. Muller Menagerie Forest Park, Queens, NY. From Lakeview Park, Dracut, MA.1917 PTC #46 - Cinderella’s Golden CarrouselWalt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL. From Olympic Park, Maplewood, NJ. Converted to all jumpers.1908 PTC #17 Riverview Carousel, Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, GA. Relo-cated from Riverview Park, Chicago, IL.1927 Spillman Engineering - Menagerie/MixSpring River Park, Roswell, NM. From Rainbow Gardens, Wilkes Barre, PA. Donated to city by Marianne Stevens in 1971.c.1908 DeBoer Bros. - KiddieWindmill Island Municipal Park, Holland, MI. From Holland. 1972 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1921 C. W. Parker “Superior Style” Jantzen Beach SuperCenter, Portland, OR. From Venice Beach Pier, CA, to Jantzen Beach Park, to Jantzen Beach Center in 1972.1926 PTC #75Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, Ocean City, NJ. From Fernbrook Park, then Rolling Green Park in PA.1915 PTC #35 The Enchanted Carousel, Six Flags St. Louis, Eureka, MO. From Luna Park, then Puritas Springs and Indian Lake Park, OH.


Military Muller from the Forest Park Carousel. Shown here in 1990 during the NCA Convention, the carousel is still hoping to find a new operator, having been closed to the public for the past two years. (CNT 12-90)

A pair of patriotic jumpers on the Herschell-Spillman menag-erie in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA. Once owned and operated by the Davis family, the carousel is 100 years old this year. The photo taken during the ACS visit in 1997. (CNT 8-97)

The Looff carousel at Heritage Gardens & Museum in Sand-wich, MA. The NCA formed here in 1973. (CNT 4-09)


1980 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Twin Grove Park, Pine Grove, PA PTC #9 D/ASauzer’s Kiddieland, Schererville, IN Illions SoldWilliam Yount, Chesapeake, VA Illions/Carmel SoldPoint Pleasant Beach, NJ Dentzel D/AWillow Brook School, Staten Island, NY AH TradeGrand Strand Park, SC Nunley-Murphy/Carmel/S&G D/A 1981 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– York Beach, ME C. W. Parker D/A1982 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––President’s Park, Carlsbad, NM Dentzel D/AOklahoma City, OK C. W. Parker D/ALakemont Pk, Altoona, PA E. Joy Morris D/ARocky Point Park Warwick, RI Herschell-Spillman D/ADanbury Fair, Danbury, CT C. W. Parker D/APlayland Park, Ocean City, NJ Borrelli/Carmel/S&G Sold 1983 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Boulder Park, Indian Falls, NY A Herschell Menagerie D/A(from Gettysburg, PA) Dorney Park, Allentown, PA PTC #38 FireIndian Trail, Northampton, PA Dentzel D/A1984 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The Casino, Asbury Park, NJ PTC #87 D/A Figures sold at auction, mechanism to Myrtle Beach.Crystal Beach, Ontario, Canada PTC #12 D/ADispensa’s Kiddie Kingdom, Oakbrook, IL A Herschell D/A1985 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Petticoat Junction, Panama City, FL PTC #59 D/AFigures sold. Mechanism at Peddlers Village, Lahaska, PA.Fairland Amusements, Lancaster, NY A Herschell D/AFirst carousel auction reported in the CN&T.Americana Amus., Middletown, OH PTC #71 D/AOnancock, VA Allan Herschell D/ATrout Farm, Muncy, PA Looff D/A 1986 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Dorney Park, Allentown, PA Dentzel D/A Encanto Park, Phoenix, AZ A Herschell Mix D/AOcean Park, Los Angeles, CA C. W. Parker D/ALake Ponchartrain, New Orleans, LA Illions D/AFantasy Farm, Middletown, OH Herschell Spillman D/ARoyal American Shows, GA PTC #39 D/ALake Mishnock, West Greenwich, RI S&G/Looff/Dare D/A Calaway Gardens, Calgary, BC C. W. Parker D/AFrom Dave Bradley’s Beverly Park. Used by Disney in a movie after Beverly Park closed. Sent to Canada around 1983.Storybook Land, Wisconsin Dells, WI Allan Herschell SoldBrookhaven, MS C. W. Parker D/ALakeview Amus. Park, Royersford, PA A Herschell D/A


From Dave Bradley’s C. W. Parker carousel made famous by the Disney movie “Something Wicked This Way Comes”. After Beverly Park closed, the carousel went to Canada.

Herschell-Spillman tiger from Rocky Point Park, Warwick, RI was among the 46 figures from Rocky Point that went to auc-tion in June, 1989. Figures from Skylon Towers, Maple Leaf Village and the Palace Carousel along with a Prior & Church Racing Derby were also at the Guernsey’s auction. (CNT 6-89)

PTC #71 stander at Guernsey’s San Francisco auction in 1988. the horse sold for $28,600. (CNT 6-88)


A patriotic jumper from Kimberly’s Carousel, Put-In-Bay, OH. Photo from the 2000 NCA convention. (CNT 11-00)

1972 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––c.1905 Dentzel MenagerieWatkins Regional Park, Upper Marlboro, MD. From Chesapeake, MD.1973 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1917 PTC #44Paramount’s Kings Dominion, Doswell, VA. From Riverside Park, Springfield, MA, then Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI.1923 PTC #67 Paramount’s Carowinds, Charlotte, NC. From Evansville, IN. 1919 Allan Herschell - Portable Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA. Travelled over 50 years, then abandoned. Found in 1973 in Dallas, TX. Roy Herschell and 14 crafts-men restored the machine.1913 Herschell-Spillman - MenagerieGreenfield Village, Dearborn, MI. Originally from Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA, to Spokane, WA. Roswell, NM, to Greenfield Village.1974 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1910 Mangels-CarmelThree Rivers Carousel, Tri-Cities, WA. From Silver Beach, MI.1897 Savage Gallopers - Portable Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ. From Great Britain.1975 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1909 Looff - MenagerieRiverfront Park, Spokane, WA. From Natatorium Park, WA. 1914 Stein & GoldsteinBushnell Park, Hartford, CT. From Meyers Lake Park, Canton, OH. 1947 Allan Herschell - PortableSmithsonian Carousel, The National Mall, Washington, DC. From Gwynn Oak Park, Baltimore, MD. 1915 Herschell-Spillman/Dare - PortableNew York State Museum, Albany, NY. (See 2001)1976 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1901 C. W. Parker Track - Steam Abilene Parker, Heritage Center, Abilene, KS. From Riverton, WY. c.1910 Stein & Goldstein - PortableKiddieland Carousel, Knoebels Grove, Elysburg, PA.1930s Allan Herschell - PortableLake Accotink Park, Springfield, VA. From Fairhill Farm Antiques, Spring Hill, NJ to Lake Accotink in 1978.1979 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1917 Allan Herschell Menagerie - PortableKimberly’s Carousel, Put-In-Bay, OH. From Buffalo, NY, to John Abbott. Sold to Put-In-Bay, OH, in 1979.1980 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1915 Savage Roundabout - PortableW.E. “Bill” Mason Carousel, Oak Meadow Park, Los Gatos, CA. Shipped around Cape Horn for Pan-Pacific Expo in 1915. Traveled with Foley & Burke carnival. Mix of U.S. and European carvings.


The Watkins Regional Park, MD, carousel was on the docket for the 2005 NCA Tech Conference. The early 1900s Dentzel came from Chesapeake Beach. The hippocampus, restored by Rosa Ragan, was unveiled during the NCA visit. (CNT 6-05)

The Busch Gardens 1919 Allan Herschell was restored with the help of Roy Herschell and 14 craftsman. (CNT 10-91)


1987 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Forrest Park, Fort Worth, TX Looff/Parker/Carmel D/AGillians Fun Deck, Ocean City, NJ Spillman D/A The 1926 Spillman sold in 1929 for $2,500. In 1987, 24 bidders paid a total of $138,750 for 36 horses and two chariots in just 30 minutes. The full machine was offered for $166,500 but there were no bidders.Keansburg, NJ Looff D/A1988 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Atlantic Beach Park, Misquamicut, RI Illions D/A Niagara Falls, Maple Leaf Village, ON Carmel/Illions D/ACircus World, Orlando, FL Illions Supreme D/A(from Bertrand Island) Twin Lakes, Paris, IL A Herschell D/APaducah, KY Spillman D/ATulsa, Bells Amusements, OK C. W. Parker D/A (from Playland Park in Texas)Waldameer Park, Erie, PA S&G/Dentzel/Muller D/AGhost Town, Moosic, PA PTC #14 D/AWonderland Park, Amarillo, TX C. W. Parker D/ARock Springs Park, Chester, WV Muller/Dentzel D/AFun Forest, Seattle, WA Carmel/Looff/Illions D/AJoyland Park, Lubbock, TX C. W. Parker1989 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Chippewa Lake, OH Allan Herschell D/AGreat Escape, Lake George, NY Dentzel D/AEldridge Park, Elmira, NY Looff/Carmel/Dentzel D/ASkylon Tower, Niagara Falls, ON E. Joy Morris D/ALake Quassy, Middlebury, CT E. Joy Morris D/A Palace Amusments, Asbury Park, NJ Mixture D/A (Dentzel, Looff, Illions, and Stein & Goldstein figures) Freeman’s, Seaside Heights, NJ Illions/Carmel D/A1990 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rocky Glen, Morgantown, PA C. W. Parker D/A A long ride for this Parker carousel, bro-ken up after 87 years in operation. After 30 years at Pine Lake Park in Caroga, NY, the carousel was sold at auction in 1983 when, it was purchased by Rocky Glen Park in Wilkes-Barre, PA. When Rocky Glen closed, the carousel was again auctioned by Norton in 1988. At Rocky Glen, the figures brought a total of $201,200. Raymond Carr and fam-ily bought the carousel intact for $242,300. The Carrs did extensive renovations to the carousel and it was placed in the Morgantown Mall. Just two years later, the carousel was up for auction again. The figures totaled up to less than $3,000 more than they had two years earlier. The Carrs decided to let the machine go, and there was no new “White Knight” to offer the $244,980 needed to save it intact. The beautifully restored mechanism has been carefully stored since the day the horses left, and awaits a buyer and a new home with new figures.


Joe and Nelle DeLorenzo on the Illions Supreme at Bertrand Island in the late 1960s. Joe painted the horse. The Supreme Monarch II was built between 1921-1925 for the $2 million Amusement Department Store on Surf Ave., where it opened in 1926. In 1935, the supreme was sold for $7,200 and the exchange of a smaller carousel. The new owner brought the ride to Bertrand Island Amusement Park in NJ. Ownership of the carousel transferred through the family, finally to Joe and Nette DeLorenzo in the early 1960s. When the park went to one-price admission in 1972 the carousel was taking a beat-ing. Joe and Nette sold the ride to Ringling Bros. for their new Circus World park in Orlando. Circus World changed hands in the mid-‘70s and again in 1984. In 1985, the Circus World carousel went to auction and sold intact for $437,800 to a NY developer who planned to install it. But, the carousel was at auction again in 1987 with a reserve of $825,000. It did not sell and was later sold to a private collector. The figures went to auction in 1988. The mechanism went to John Daniel and is now owned by George Schott who is repopulating the ma-chine. (CNT 4-88)

Rogene and Earl Corey with their prized leaping lion from the Skylon Tower carousel. (CNT 6-88). The last two E. Joy Mor-ris carousels would go to auction in the same year. Skylon Tower had been sold to the Coreys intact in 1986. They were considering trying to find a location so it could operate again when Rogene was stricken with cancer and passed away in Dec. 1988. The machine was broken up in 1989. That same year, the Lake Quassy E. Joy Morris was sold piecemeal in an emotional auction. (CNT 12-89)


Like so many waterfront parks, in 1985 Roseland was sold after 60 years of operation to make way for condos, offices and a yacht club. A local group rallied to save the PTC #18 carousel, but could only raise $100,000. In the style adopted by Norton Auctioneers to give each carousel a chance to sur-vive, the carousel was first offered piece-by-piece, then with a 20% increase over the total of the individual bids, offered as a whole. The figures bid separately to $331,250. Add the 20% and the number to save the carousel intact was $397,500. James Tuozsolo of Rochester, NY, partner in the Pyramid Companies, real estate and shopping mall developers, made the bid and then some. He even paid for the rights to a horse that was stolen a week before the auction. After five years in storage, the PTC #18 would emerge as the centerpiece of the new Carousel Center Mall in Syracuyse, NY, where it still operates today. (CNT 12--90).

1980 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1906 C. W. Parker - Portable Wild Waves, Federal Way, WA. From Redondo Beach, WA..1981 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1928 PTC #84 Canada’s Wonderland, Vaughan, ON. From Happyland Hastings Park, Vancouver, BC, to Old Orchard Beach, ME, to Palisades, NJ. 1910-15 Herschell-Spillman Menagerie Wheaton Regional Park, Wheaton, MD. From The Mall, Washington, DC. Opened at Wheaton Regional Park in 1981.1905 Herschell-Spillman Menagerie - Portable Inner Harbor Carousel, Harbor Place, Baltimore, MD. From Cheek-towaga, NY, to Jon Abbott, to Harbor Place in 1981. 1982 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1916 Allan Herschell #1 Special - PortableHerschell Carrousel Factory Museum, North Tonawanda, NY. From Bill Stenning, storage, to Herschell museum in 1982. c.1920 C. W. Parker Steam - PortableW. MN Steam Threshers Reunion, Rollag, MN. Carnival machine, from Ruben Klein to W. MN Steam Threshers Reunion. 1913 Herschell-Spillman MenagerieStory City Carousel, North Park, Story City, IA. Restored by com-munity and placed in current location in 1982.1915 Herschell-Spillman/AH/Ilions mixAtlantic Beach Park, Misquamicut Beach, RI. From Rocky Point Park, RI. Illions horses from previous Atlantic Beach carousel. Also has Allan Herschell and Arrow Development figures. 1983 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1924 Dentzel MenagerieStoner Carousel, Lancaster, PA. From Rocky Springs Park. Storage. 1912 C. W. Parker - PortableCrossroads Village, Flint, MI. From Fairmont City Park, Riverside, CA, to Crossroads Village, Flint, MI, in 1983.1924 Spillman EngineeringDutch Village, Holland, MI. From Redondo Beach, CA. 1984 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1895 Looff MenagerieSeaport Village, San Diego, CA. From Fair Park, Dallas, TX. Various locations. Placed in Seaport Village, San Diego in 2004.1922 PTC #61Jane’s Carousel, Brooklyn, NY. From Idora Park, Youngstown, OH. Purchased by Jane and David Walentas intact at auction. Restoration complete, 2006. Plans to open in new park, in new building, under Brooklyn Bridge in 2011.1930s Allan Herschell - PortableLiberty Park, Salt Lake City, UT. From Playland Park, Pocatello, ID.1985 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1909 PTC #18The Carousel Center Mall, Syracuse, NY. From Roseland Park, NY.


Back in the 1980s, Jane Walentas had a dream of a beautifully restored antique carousel in a new park under the Brooklyn Bridge. Jane found her fire damaged carousel, PTC #61, at the auction of Idora Park in 1984. The carousel emerged in 2006 after nearly two decades of restoration. Now, we hope, very soon, the carousel will fulfill Jane’s dream and the dream of children of all ages. (CNT 2-94; 2-04; 1-07)


That is just the way it went sometimes in those days. An ar-ticle in the Feb. ‘91 CNT featured West Virginia’s only wooden carousel, this Spillman in Camden. Then, the March ‘92 CNT featured this carousel again. After 70 years, the small chil-dren’s park replaced the wooden figures with metal. The 36 Spillman figures were the highlight of the Feb. ‘92 Big Top auction in Tampa. The armored brought $10,175.

1990 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Indian Lake, Russell’s Point, OH PTC #31 D/AOwasco, Auburn, NY Herschell Spillman D/A(from Algonac Island Park, MI)Knott’s Lagoon, Buena Park, CA Dentzel D/ABoblo Island, ONT, Canada Illions D/AThe precious Boblo Island Illions was restored to great fanfare in 1987. The park was sold in 1988 to the entertainment firm who controlled the Harlem Globetrotters, (a lot they would know about amusement parks). In 1990, the parks new owners announced that the carousel would be sold and replaced with nice new fiberglass machine. The carousel sold piecemeal for $824,550.Clementon Lake, NJ PTC #49 SoldFigures sold, replaced with fiberglass replicas.1991 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– City Park, Maryville, MO C. W. Parker D/A Bushkill Park, Easton, PA PTC/Dentzel D/A 1992 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Elizabethtown, TN Spillman D/A American Legion Post 49. Full carousel offer - $70,000. Sold piece-by-piece $161, 975. Camden Park, Huntington, WV. Spillman D/A1993 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Agassiz Village, West Poland, ME Herschell Spillman D/A Belchertown, MA Stein & Goldstein D/AOffered and sold as a complete machine only. The high bid of just $440,000 took the entire machine, but the Stein & Goldstein carousel would never ride again. At the sale it was rumored that the buyer was the same as the buyer of Boblo Island. (CNT 6-93). By the August, the figures were offered as part of a big auction in October. Although the lead horse sold for $85,600, the tally on all of the figures from the S&G was just $461,437 with 7% buyers premium. Not a lot of profit in breaking up that machine. Was the collector market finally saturated?1994 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Seabreeze Park, Rochester, NY PTC #36 Fire1998 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– War Memorial Park, Little Rock, AR Allan Herschell D/A2000 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Fun City Amusements, Sea Isle, NJ Allan Herschell D/A Whalom Park, MA Looff D/AIndividual figures led by four greyhounds brought the piece-by-piece total to just over $463,000. The machine was offered as a whole unit for just under $515,000. There was no “White Knight” in Fitchburg, MA, that Saturday in April. Many machines before had been saved with this auction format. That would not be the case on this day. The four greyhounds alone brought bids totalling over $124,000. Add the two sea monsters and those six figures alone bid to a total of $164,000 on a machine known to need at least $200,000 in restora-tion. Whalom Park Looff was no longer. A decade later, it remains the last antique wooden carousel broken up at auction.


Looff greyhound from the Whalom Park carousel, restored by Layton Studios. (CNT 6-01)

The signature S&G lead horse and the armored horse were big stars at the Belchertown auction which was held just months after the machine was bought “intact”. However, the overall tally of the figures would not show much profit.


1985 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––c.1910 Dentzel/Looff/Carmel/Illions Menagerie Dr. Floyd L. Moreland Carousel, Casino Pier, Seaside Heights, NJ. Though in operation at Casino Pier since 1932, the carousel was destined to be sold in the mid-1980s. Dr. Floyd Moreland and a crew of volunteers revitalized the machine. 1907 Dentzel Menagerie Castle Park, Riverside, CA. Relocated from Knott’s Berry Farm.1986 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1928 PTC #85 Paragon Carousel, Carousel Station, Hull, MA. In 1984, Paragon Park was auctioned to make room for condo development. Local activists convinced the developer to purchase the carousel. Two years later, the developer decided to sell the ride and three local investors stepped in to save it. The carousel and building were moved (together) to nearby city property in a move that made “Ripley’s Believe it Or Not”. In 1996, the investors were ready to part with the ride. To save the car-ousel this time, $1.1 million was needed in two months. The non-profit Friends of the Carousel was formed and able to raise enough money by the deadline. By spring of 1996, the Friends owned the carousel. 1987 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1921 Dentzel Menagerie The St. Louis Carousel, Faust County Park, Chesterfield, MO. From Forest Park Highlands, to Sylvan Springs Co. Park, St. Louis, MO, then into storage. Restored 1986-87.1908 Herschell-Spillman Menagerie - Grasshopper Carousel In the Park, Gage Park, Topeka, KS. Originally in PA, then TX and to KS. From Boyles Joyland, Topeka, KS to Gage Park.1920s Spillman Engineering - Portable Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT. Came from storage in MN in 1984, refurbished and placed in operation in 1987. 1988 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1926 Spillman Engineering Prairie Rose Carousel, Chahinkapa Zoo, Wahpeton, ND. From Lee Funland, Upstate, NY, to storage in MN, to Chahinkapa Zoo.1914 PTC #33Cafesjian’s Carousel, Como Park, St. Paul, MN. Originally operated at Minn. State Fairgrounds. Saved from piecemeal auction in 1988 by Our Fair Carousel, who purchased the machine prior to the auction for $1,132,500. Operated in Town Square Park from 1990 to 1995. Opened at Como Park in 1999.1989 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1894 Norman & Evans Steam - Track MidWest Old Threshers, Mt. Pleasant, IA. Rescued from an old barn. Operated at Cowtown Park, Wichita, KS, 1989 to 1994.1990 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Spillman Engineering Undulating Track Over-The-Jumps, Little Rock Zoo, AR. Saved at auction by Little Rock Friends group in 1990. After nearly two decades of restoration, opened at Little Rock Zoo in 2007.


Dr. Floyd Moreland and Elaine Bradford, his partner in the carousel, enjoy New Year’s Eve 1995. The carousel was named after Floyd after his tremendous restoration efforts saved the machine a decade earlier.

PTC #33, Cafesjian’s Carousel was save from the auction block in dramatic fashion in 1988 and is now the pride of St. Paul, MN. (CNT 10-01)

In one of the longest and hardest fought community battles in carousel history, the Friends of the Arkansas Carousel saved their one-of-a-kind Over-the-Jumps in 1990. It would take 16 years to raise the funds and restore the carousel. Shown here before restoration in 1991. (CNT 9-91; 12-07)


CN&T PAPARAzzI THROUGH THE YEARS

Harvey and Marion Roehl, Merrick Price, Charles Walker, Fred Fried, John Hayak, Susan Hofsass, all NCA charter members at PTC #85 in 1992. Bob Newman (sunglasses) repairs the Paragon organ.

Marianne Stevens (2000) NCA founding members; Judy Tuttle, Barbara, Charles, Fred Fried, Jo and Rol Summit.

Duane and Carol Perron at the Merry-Go-Round Museum. (1997)

Bob Kissel. (1997)

Lourinda Bray, Pam Hessey and Marge Swenson. (2000)

Tim Trager. (1997)Pat and Brenda Wentzel. (1996)

Steve and Kris Crescenze. (1993)

Will Morton (1990) Maurice Fraley, ACM (1987) Nina Fraley, Asilomar (1996)

Marianne Stevens and Jim Aten, ACS Portland Convention. (1993)

Dan Horenberger and John Daniel, ACS Convention. (1989)

Dave Norton and Larry Freels, San Francisco. (1991)Buck and Dawn Brasington.

Bill Kromer. (1992)

Al and Peggy Rappaport. (2003)

Jerry Reinhardt with “Nancy Lynn” carved for Nancy. (1993)

Tony Orlando (1997)



Hampton’s PTC #50 operated at Buckroe Beach for 65 years until the park closed. The owners chose not to auction the carousel, but to keep it local and intact. The city purchased it in 1986 and used it as the center for a city park. (CNT 8-91)

1990 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1923 Allan Herschell - Portable Irwindale, CA. From Marshall Scotty’s Playland, CA. Storage.1991 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1920 PTC #54 The Fall River Carousel, Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA. From Lincoln Park, North Dartmouth, MA. Local businessmen purchased the carousel intact at auction in 1986 for $693,000. $1.75 million was raised for a two-story building and restoration. 1920 PTC #50 Hampton Carousel, Carousel Park, Hampton, VA. From Buckroe Beach Amusement Park, Hampton, VA, from 1920-1985 when the park closed. Carousel was restored and placed in a new building in 1991. c. 1910 Herschell-Spillman - Portable Indian Walk Country Shop, Wrightstown, PA. Traveling carnival. 1992 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1939 Allan Herschell/Mix Menagerie - Portable Merry-Go-Round Museum, Sandusky, OH. From Historic Amuse-ment Foundation, Indianapolis, IN, to Merry-Go-Round Museum.1993 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1927-’28 PTC #80 Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, Heritage State Park, Holyoke, MA. Purchased for $17,000 in 1927 by Mountain Park, Holyoke, MA. Park closed in 1987. Owner rejected $2,000,000 offer for the carousel to keep it local. Local group rallied and purchased carousel for $875,000. 1912 C. W. Parker #119 - Portable Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby, BC. Traveling, then Playland Park, Vancouver through 1972. Operated seasonally without a building until 1989, when it was announced that the ride would go to auction. A Friends group formed and raised $490,000 to purchase the carousel. Opened at Burnaby Village Museum in 1993 after two year restoration.1994 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1928 Spillman Engineering/Looff Menagerie Van Andel Museum Center, Grand Rapids, MI. Lakewood Park, Barnesville, PA, to Grand Rapids Public Museum, MI, 1982. Opened Nov. 1994 after restoration and placed in a new building on the river.1917 Allan Herschell - Portable Chase Palm Park, Santa Barbara, CA. From Seaport Village, San Diego, CA. To Santa Barbara in 1999.1995 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1921 Dentzel Menagerie Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Allentown, PA . From Lake Lansing, Haslett, MI, to Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH, to Dorney Park. 1928 Allan Herschell - Portable Diederich Carousel, Red River Zoo, Fargo, ND. From Huckleberry’s Buffet, Cedar Rapids, IA, to Fargo Zoo in 1995. Private donation.1920 Herschell-Spillman - Portable Northrop-Grumman Carousel, Mitchell Park, Greenport, NY. From Grumman Co. Picnic Grounds, Calverton, NY, to Mitchell Park in 1995. Relocated to a new all weather building in Greenport summer of 2001.

The Van Andel 1928 Spillman. The carousel was acquired in 1982, but it would be another twelve years before the com-pletely restored carousel opened. (CNT 7-94, 1/2-99)

Operated at Playland Park, in Vancouver and then seasonally after the park closed. A Friends Group was formed to save the carousel from auction and it was purchased intact. After a two year restoration, it opened at Burnaby Village. (CNT 5-98)


1964 - CAROUSEL EDUCATION - 2010

books, Museums, Organizations, PublicationsIf it all starts with education, then the

modern carousel movement all started with a book back in 1964, then it contin-ued on, with more books, organizations, museums and publications and periodi-cals. Each of these was and is part of the landscape of the modern carousel movement and the continued apprecia-tion of our historic carousels. A number of these books and publications are out of print, but that should not stop you from looking for them.

Also, there are a number of new carousel books in the works and just coming to print now. If you have not already, you will hear all about them in future issues of the CNT.

books ––––––––––––––––––––––––––1964 A Pictorial History of the Carousel By Fred Fried The complete history of the carousel.

1970 Carousels of Coney Island By Rol Summit Carousel history. Flying Horses Catalog (Essay)

1979 The American Carousel By Nina Fraley Carousel history, photography.

1981 Fairground Art By Geoff Weedon and Richard Ward History of fairground carving and painted imagery.

1983 Art of the Carousel By Charlotte Dinger History, photography, identification, restoration.

1983 The Carousel Animal By Tobin Fraley History, photography, figures, restoration.

1986 Painted Ponies: American Carousel Art By Bill Manns, Peggy Shank, Marianne Stevens History, photography, identification, restoration.

1987 Introduction to the Carousel By Maurice Fraley Photography, figures, identification.

1990 Grab the Brass Ring By Anne Dion Hinds History, photography, identification, restoration.

1994 The Great American Carousel By Tobin Fraley History, photography, figures, restoration.

2002 Carousel Animals: Artistry in Motion By Tobin Fraley Carvers, photography, figures, restoration.

2002 Vintage Funfairs By Brian Steptoe Fairground art and artisans, history, photography.

Publications ––––––––––––––––––––1975 The Merry Go Roundup Quarterly publication of the NCA.

1979 Amusement Park Journal(-1988) Monthly. In depth amusement park history.

1980 Carousel Art(-1988) Quarterly. In depth, specific carousel history.

1985 The Carousel News & Trader Carousel history, events, photography.

Organizations –––––––––––––––––––1973 The National Carousel Association Historic Carousel Preservation and Education. Originally the National Carousel Roundtable, founded in 1973 in Sandwich, MA.

1979 American Carousel Society(-2004) Founded in 1979 to celebrate the historic carousel through the preservation of full carousels as well as individual figures.

Museums –––––––––––––––––––––––1982 International Museum of Carousel Art Hood River, OR. Originally Portland Carousel Museum. Four locations to date, seeking a new permanent location. Hundreds of carousel figures. Thirteen complete, operable carousels, three operating; Spillman, Long Beach, CA; Looff, San Diego, CA; Allan Herschell, Santa Barbara, CA.

1983 Herschell Carousel Factory Museum North Tonawanda, NY. Housed in the actual Allan Herschell Co. factory building. Two operating carousels.

1986 American Carousel Museum(-1999) San Francisco, CA. Operated by the non-profit Freels Foundation. Carousel figures. Special exhibits.

1986 Dickenson County Historical Society Abilene, KS. Operating carousel, period displays and exhibits. Library and research center.

1990 Merry-Go-Round Museum Sandusky, OH. Operating carousel, figure displays, carving shop, restoration shop, educational programs.

1990 New England Carousel Museum Bristol, CT. Figure displays, carving shop, restoration shop, educational programs. Also NE Fire Museum.

1992 Knoebels Grove Carousel Museum Elysburg, PA. Two historic carousels operate at park. Figures, photographs, history, memorabilia.

2005 C. W. Parker Museum Leavenworth, KS. Operating carousel, figure displays, carving and restoration shop. Home to NCA archives.

2007 Kit Carson Carousel Museum Burlington, CO. Operating carousel, figure displays, historic carving and restoration shop exhibits.



Noreene Sweeney poses with her favorite figure, the Dare mule on the Albany State Museum Carousel. The carousel was purchased by the museum in 1975, but it would not be until 2001 when the funds could be raised to restore the machine. (CNT Oct. ‘01; Jan./Feb. ‘03).

C. W. Parker #118 at the Parker Museum in Leavenworth, KS. The carousel was acquired in 1997, but the museum would not open until 2005. (CNT 6-05)

1996 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1918 Allan Herschell - Portable The Elaine Wilson Carousel, Strong National Museum of Play, Rochester, NY. Traveling. From storage in Alabama. Restored in 1995 after 25 years storage.1997 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Parker #118 - PortableC.W. Parker Carousel Museum, Leavenworth, KS. Well traveled machine found a permanent home in 1997. Restored and opened at C. W. Parker Museum in 2005.1850-‘65 Primitive HandcrankNCA Carousel, C.W. Parker Carousel Museum, Leavenworth, KS. From Sands Point Preserve, Pt. Washington, NY. Opened at the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum in 1997.1998 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1906 Looff Menagerie Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA. From Playland-at-the-Beach, San Francisco, CA. Acquired by Marianne Stevens, operated at Shoreline Village, Long Beach, CA, and relocated to Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA, 1998.1920s Spillman Engineering/Mix Menagerie - Portable City Park Carousel, Shelby City Park, Shelby, NC. Purchased in 1951 by J.E. Strates and Dr. J. S. Dorton for city. Operated in park 1952-84. Restored and reopened in 1998.1923 Allan Herschell - Portable Irwindale, CA. From Santa’s Village, Skyforest, CA. Storage2000 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1914 Mangels-Illions Grand Carousel, Columbus Zoo, Powell, OH. From Wyandot Lake Amusement Park, Powell, OH, to Columbus Zoo. Restored and opened in new building summer of 2000.c. 1900 Dentzel - StationaryWeona Park, Pen Argyl, PA. Purchased by town in 1917 from Dent-zel factory. Town embarked on major fundraising efforts for a restora-tion back to original paint from 1997-2000. 2001 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1915 Herschell-Spillman/Dare Menagerie - Portable New York State Museum, Albany, NY. Carnival ride, various NY loca-tions, to Olivecrest Amusement Park in 1932. Purchased by NY State Museum in 1975 and placed in storage. Restored and opened at New York State Museum, 2001.2002 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1904 Illions - 2 RowCongress Park, Saratoga Springs, NY. From Kaydeross Amusement Park. Purchased by city at auction in 1987 for $15,000. After 15 years in storage and $300,000 in restoration, opened in Congress Park.1928 Herschell-Spillman Olcott Beach Carousel Park, Olcott Beach, NY. From Culver Marina, Culver, IN, to Olcott Beach in 2002. Operates with four other vintage kiddie rides and a Wurlitzer band organ.

Shown here during the NCA visit to Ohio in 1991, the Wyandot Lake Illions moved to the Columbus zoo in 2000. (CNT 11-91)


1974 - IN MEMORIAM - 2010Bernard Illions

1901-1988Salvatore Cernigliaro

1880-1974George W. Long, Jr.

1892-1988

William Dentzel, II1921-1991

Dave Bradley1911-1988

Edo McCullough1902-1988

William F. Mangels, Jr.1948-2008

Fred Fried1908-1994

John Oliver Davis1915-2007

Marvin Sylvor1934-2008

Carl Theel1915-1992

Paul Parker1898-1992

Edo was the last of the famed McCullough brothers. At one time, his family owned five

carousels on Coney Island. A frequent visitor to carousel con-ventions, he recalled watching Dreamland burn to the ground.

Involved in carousels beginning in the 1880s, the Long family built at least eight machines.

George began in the business at age 12. He carved for PTC for a short time, was operating three carousels at once, then

bought Seabreeze Park.

The third generation of the Davis carousel family, After

WWII, J.O. could have become a commercial pilot, but instead he joined forces with his father,

Ross. They would place nu-merous California carousels.

Grandson of Gustav Dentzel, Bill, along with his wife Marion, was a founding member and

first president of the NCA. A lawyer by profession, Bill carried on the Denzel family tradition of carving figures.

Harvey Roehl1919-2000

Harvey and Marion Roehl turned their love of mechani-cal music into Vestal Press in 1961. In addition to numerous music books, recordings and manuals, Vestal Press would

also publish Fred Fried’s book.

Son of C. W. Parker. Operated Parker Amusement Co. for 20 years after his father’s death in 1932. Paul would see the com-pany move to the construction

of smaller metal carousels.

Founded Theel Manufacturing and Kiddieland. Bought remains

of the Parker Company. Built first amusement ride in 1947,

and opened Kiddieland in 1951. Built first carousel in 1955.

In addition to founding Fabricon Carousel Company and placing

carousels all over the world, Marvin was an avid supporter

of antique carousels and espe-cially instrumental in their well

being in his New York area.

Entrepreneurial owner of Bev-erly Park where he tested his new rides. Consulted Disney.

Pioneered the fiberglass replica carousel horse. Many of Dave’s amusement innovations are still

used in the industry today.

Bill was the fourth generation of William F. Mangels. A former

NCA secretary, he helped to perpetuate and preserve the

legacy of his great-great grand-father, who revolutionized the

amusement industry.

Barney, the youngest son of Marcus Illions, began working in his father’s shop at age 10. He was painting horses in his

teens. In his later years, Barney shared his knowledge

and craft with those lucky enough to know him.

Cherni emigrated to the U.S. in 1903. He carved for Gustav

Dentzel, and later for PTC. Cherni introduced menagerie animals and carved many of

Dentzel’s finest figures. He was a good friend to many modern

day carousel enthusiasts.

Fred brought the historic car-ousel into modern light with his 1964 book, “A Pictorial History of the Carousel”. NCA founding member and staunch preserva-tionist, Fred is the undisputed patriarch of the modern carou-

sel preservation movement.


Charlotte Dinger1930-1996

John Abbott1929-1995

Merrick Price1919-1996

Walt Youree1915-2001

Jerry Betts1935-1990

Son-in-law of George Long, Jr., Merrick worked at Sea-

breeze Park for decades. He was a founding member of the NCA, with his daughter, Suzy

Hofsass. He would live just long enough to see PTC #36 return.

Charles Walker1941-2007

John, and his wife Barbara, were devout carousel enthu-siasts. John was a collector,

dealer, appraiser and auction-eer. Two historic carousels he once owned still operate intact today, in Maryland and Ohio.

Among the early collectors of carousel figures in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Walt and Mary Lawrence would amass a world-famous

carousel figure collection. Walt would do the figure restorations

and Mary, the painting.

Charles was a founding mem-ber of the NCA and served as

Conservation Chairman and as the representative of the NCA to the IAAPA. He helped maintain PTC #39 at Lake Winnie and

restored its original band organ.

Devoted collector and restorer of exquisite carousel figures,

shown here with her hus-band, Carl, in 1994. Charlotte

founded the American Carousel Society in 1979 and authored “Art of the Carousel” in 1983.

Jerry had an infectious love of carousels and band organs.

He was a founding member of the NCA, joined the CNT staff in 1990, and was instrumental in the restoration of many of

Ohio’s historic carousels.

I’m sure there are many other folks deserving to be on this list of those who have passed in the carousel world. These are among those featured in the CN&T through the years.

CAROUSELS SAVED 2004-20102004 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1890 Looff/Mangels MenagerieBroadway Flying Horses Carousel. From Coney Island, then Salisbury Beach, MA. Restored 2006. Storage.2005 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Mangels-Carmel/Illions B & B Carousel, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY. The last operating carousel was scheduled to go to auction in Aug. 2005. The city of NY stepped forward and purchased the historic ride intact for $1.8 million. Currently in restoration, awaiting a new home on Coney Island.2006 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1918 PTC #45Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA. From Cincinnati, OH, to Para-mount’s Great America, Santa Clara, CA, to storage. After extensive renovations, opened at Woodland Park Zoo in 2006.1906 Bartholomew Murphy-Carmel/LooffCity Park, New Orleans, LA. After extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, repairs/restoration completed for 100 anniversary.1909 DentzelMemphis, TN. From Libertyland. Storage. c. 1890 LooffEldridge Park, Elmira, NY. Mechanism only. Replacement figures.2007 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1912 Herschell-Spillman Menagerie Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach, SC. From Myrtle Beach Pavilion Park to Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach, SC, in 2007.1901 Armitage-Herschell Steam Track - Portable Delta Children’s Museum; Greenville, MS. Various locations in Greenville before going into storage for two decades. Restored and placed back in operation in 2007. 1924 Spillman Engineering - Over-The-JumpsLittle Rock Zoo; Little Rock, AR. Opened at Little Rock Zoo in 2007.2008 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1902-’07 Dentzel Menagerie Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, PA. From Woodside Park, PA. Bought by Fred Fried. Opened at Please Touch in 2008.2009 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1913 PTC #28 - Portable Sun Valley, CA. From Strates Shows. Storage. 1910-’12 Murphy-Stein & Goldstein Nunley’s Carousel, Museum Row, Garden City, NY. From Nunley’s Amusement Park, Baldwin, NY. Saved from auction and purchased by city. After years in storage, restored in 2009.1925 PTC #72 Chicago area, IL. From Kiddieland, Melrose, IL. Storage. 2010 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––1927 Allan Herschell - PortableNewton, NC. Purchased as a Christmas gift after 50 years in storage. Restored and put in operation, spring, 2010.


1985 - WORLD RECORD AUCTION PRICES - 2010What would a look back at 25 years of The Carousel News & Trader be without a look back at “World Record Auction Prices.” In the

early issues, the CN&T would print a listing of each of the items and prices they sold for at a particular auction. The first mention of any World Record in the CN&T was the sale of Paragon Park’s PTC #85 by Norton for $598,800. That was in the fall of 1985. In 1986, Guern-sey’s set a new World Record with the sale of PTC #54 for $693,000. 1987 would bring a Looff greyhound selling for a record $59,400 for a carousel figure at a Phillips auction. Later that year, Guernsey’s would set a new record for a carousel horse, selling a Muller stander in original paint for $57,200. In April 1987, the CN&T indexed every figure sold at auction that year. In 1988, they would do the same again, this time with the highest priced items listed as World Record Prices. The CN&T would continue to update the World Records until 2000. Here are some samples of the records, broken down by decade. I will add a couple of notable items from the last decade, not meant to be a complete list. Remember, these are only items sold in public auction as reported by CN&T through the years. This does not include private sales which are quite common for individual figures as well as full carousels.

MENAGERIE FIGURES CAROUSEL HORSES FULL CAROUSELS

1980s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Dentzel Rooster Sotheby’s $148,500AH Polar Bear Guernsey’s $121,000Dentzel Lion Guernsey’s $110,000Dentzel Tiger Guernsey’s $83,600AH Elephant Guernsey’s $72,600Looff Greyhound Phillips $59,400Dentzel Lion Guernsey’s $57,200

1990s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––PTC St. Bernard Aten $174,900Dentzel Rooster Norton $145,000PTC St. Bernard Butterfield $112,500Dentzel Rooster Butterfield $96,000Dentzel Lion Aten $95,400Muller Goat Aten $76,850Dentzel Lion Norton $76,000

2000s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Dentzel Giraffe Nadeau’s $110,000Dentzel Cat Nadeau’s $103,000Looff Teddy Bear Sotheby’s $85,000 PTC Tiger Sotheby’s $78,000HS Frog Sotheby’s $72,000Muller Lion Guernsey’s $64,625Dentzel Rabbit Skinner $63,000

1980s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Illions Jumper Guernsey’s $121,000Illions Stander Guernsey’s $101,750Carmel/Borelli Guernsey’s $86,900Muller Indian Americana $75,000Carmel/Borelli Guernsey’s $67,100Dentzel Flag Guernsey’s $64,900Muller Stander Guernsey’s $63,800

1990s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Parker Lillie Belle Amus. Can. $88,000S&G Signature Norton $85,600Illions Stander Riewe $82,500Mexican Muller Aten $82,500Muller Stander Aten $79,500Dentzel Flag Norton $62,500Dentzel Stander Norton $62,500

2000s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Muller Stander Sotheby’s $90,000Dentzel Stander Sotheby’s $49.000Carmel Armored Aten $47,040Dentzel Stander Aten $43,200Dentzel Stander Sotheby’s $43,000Muller Stander Guernsey’s $38,187Illions Stander Butterfield $29,375

1980s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––PTC #33 Guernsey’s $1,125,000(St. Paul, MN. Sold prior to auction)PTC #54 Guernsey’s $693,000(Lincoln Park now Fall River, MA)PTC $85 Norton $598,800(Lincoln Park now Fall River, MA)Illions Supreme Guernsey’s $423,500(Figures sold at auction in...)PTC #18 Norton $402,500(Roseland to Carousel Center, Syracuse, NY)

1990s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Murphy-S&G Norton $854,000(Nunley’s, now Museum Row))PTC #19 Norton $715,000(Euclid Beach, OOB, now storage)S&G Norton $440,000(Belchertown, MA. Broken up after auction)

2000s –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––B&B Carousel Guernsey’s $1,800,000(Sold to city prior to auction, in restoration)

At the time of its sale in April of 1988, this Muller broke the record at $63,800. The record would last just a month.

Not many full carousels would survive the auction block in the ‘80s and ‘90s. The few that did were big news. Some would survive only to be sold off later. The Whalom Park Looff was the last carousel to be broken up at auction in 2000. Coney Island’s last carousel, the B&B, (above), was saved from auction in 2005. The major carousels that have been under the threat of auction in the past decade have been saved by cities or private buyers prior to the auction.

“Bruno” is probably the most legendary carousel figure of all. This rugged PTC St. Bernard, in original paint, brought $174,900 at auction in 1992.


C A R O U S E L C L A S S I F I E D SCLASSIFIED ADS: 70¢ per word, number or abbreviation per insertion for 1 to 3 insertions. (Phone numbers or address numbers count as one word). 50¢ per word, per insertion for 4 or more insertions. Classified ads should be prepaid by check or credit card. Ads must be received by the 1st of the month to be included in the next month’s issue. Repeat ads that run 6 times or more are 50¢ per word and can be invoiced in three-month increments. Mail to Carousel News & Trader, 11001 Peoria Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352 or Fax to (818) 332-7944. Email to: [email protected].

ANTIQUE FIGURESCAROUSEL ANIMALS FOR SALE - Horses, menagerie, Muller, Dentzel, Looff, Illions, Herschell-Spillman. Call (248) 693-4341 or email to [email protected].

HERSCHELL-SPILLMAN early 1900s carousel horse for sale. $4,995. Call 504-650-1764 or email [email protected].

CAROUSEL HORSES - For sale. Parkers, Illions, Herschells, others. Ron Weir. (641) 484-3061.

ANTIqUE CAROUSEL FIGURES - The internet’s foremost dealer in antique carousel horses, menagerie animals and trim. Buy/Sell/Restore/Appraise/Broker. Website: www.mycarousel.com. Email: [email protected]. Phone: 978-534-4538. Sandy & Gary Franklin, 245 Merriam Avenue, Leominster, MA 01453.

ANTIqUE CAROUSEL ANIMALS. Buy-Sell-Trade. Merry-Go-Round Antiques. Al Rappaport, 29541 Roan Dr., Warren, MI 48093. (586) 751-8078.

CHICAGOLAND’S largest carousel figure inventory. www.carouselclassics.com. e-mail: [email protected]. (847) 446-6970.

APPRAISALS AND SALES, Send photos and $40 per appraisal. Send SASE for list of over 50 figures & scenery panels. Ken Weaver, 506 Pughtown Rd., Spring City, PA 19475. (610) 469-6331 or e-mail [email protected].

CAROUSEL FIGURES Buy/Sel l /Trade. Restorations by Wolf. Steve Crescenze. (301) 932-2734. www.carouselrestorations.com.

LOTS OF HORSES in stock, antique and reproduction for quick delivery. Carousel Workshop, 29915 Fullerville Rd., Deland, FL 32720. (352) 669-6449. Web: www.carouselworkshop.com.

PERSONAL COLLECTION BEING REDUCED. 21 pieces. Looff, Dentzel, Illions, Parker. All professionally restored. For brochures call (405) 751-0001 or [email protected].

CAROUSEL FIGURES FOR SALE: Dentzel cat, Dentzel “top-knot” jumper, E. Joy Morris lead horse, PTC goat, Stein & Goldstein outer-row jumper and more. (971) 506-2383.

ART/phoToGRAphyCOLLECTIBLE POSTCARDS AND PHOTO ART prints of 1906 Looff Carousel In San Francisco. Large selection, all animals included.Visit www.carouselmultimedia.com.

ART/phoToGRAphyWATERCOLOR ORIGINALS AND PRINTS. Carousel, amusement Park, fair and carnival artwork. Unique gift tile and wood items on website www.5centride.com. Sue Nichols artist.

CAROUSEL PHOTOS BY BOB GUENTHNER: Photographs of 44 different carousels, some no longer in operation. 59 different sets. For complete list email [email protected].

COLLECTIBLE POSTCARDS AND PHOTO ART prints of 1906 Looff Carousel In San Francisco. Large selection, all animals included. Visit www.carouselmultimedia.com.

BAND oRGANSSTINSON CAROUSEL & FAIRGROUND ORGANS Custom instruments, restoration, updates. Stinson MIDI operating systems. Music; Artizan, Stinson, Wurlitzer specialists.Phone (937) 593-5709, fax (937) 593-5553. Web: www.StinsonBandOrgans.com. E-mail: [email protected].

ANTIqUE BAND ORGANS, NICKELODEONS and other mechanical music machines. Call or write for details; [email protected] or call Brass Ring Entertainment at 818-394-0028.

NEW MUSIC FOR YOUR WURLITZER. Three New Organ Rolls for Style 150, and 125. “Big Band Swing Roll.” “Italian Roll.” “‘50s and ‘60s Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Arrangements done by Rich Olsen. $80.00 each. Order from Gold Leaf Galleries, P.O. Box 174, Bristol, CT 06011. (860) 261-5923. E-mail: [email protected].

MORE DEALERS WANTED for Johnson Band Organs. Generous discounts on 20% to 40%. Johnson Organ Company, P.O. Box 1228, Fargo, ND 58107. (218) 284-3173; fax (218) 284-2172. [email protected].

JOHNSON BAND ORGANS SINCE 1970, now in 21 states. Custom or Wurlitzer styles available in 12 models from table-top to monster sizes. Paper roll or MIDI. Servicing for all makes. Ph. (218) 284-3173; fax (218) 284-2172. Web. www.johnsonorgan.com..

BRASS RINGSAUTHENTIC BRASS RINGS miniature and full size carousel horses, carousel art, books, music, jewelry and other great gift ideas at www.CarouselStore.com.

CARoUSElSFULLY COMPLETE ANTIqUE WOODEN CAROUSELS for sale dating to 1895. Other significant large and new carousels available. For more information, visit www.carousel.com, email to [email protected] or call Brass Ring Entertainment at (818) 394-0028.

MUST BE MOVED. 1940’s era Allan Herschell 32’, two row Little Beauty complete carousel mechanism. Will look at any reasonable or unreasonable offer. Have lots of pictures. Flathead Valley, Montana. Call (406) 857-2170 or email [email protected].

GIFTSONE OF THE LARGEST SELECTIONS of unique, distinctive and fun carousel items to delight yourself and your friends. Luann’s Carousel Gifts; Box 132 Chicopee, MA 01021. (413) 534-4139. www.luannscarouselgifts.com. email: [email protected].

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GIFTSHUNDREDS OF CAROUSEL GIFTS at The Carousel Store online. Call us at (800) 558-7969 or visit us a www.CarouselStore.com.

JEWElSGLASS JEWELS, send $2.00 for color catalog to Janet Berwin, 2111 Plattin Rd. Festus, MO 63028. (636) 931-0380. Email: [email protected].

MEChANICAlNEW GEARS AND BEARINGS for all carousels. 10-years or 110-year-old carousels. Visit www.amusementgear.com or call (818) 504-4946.

MINIATURESCOMPLETE CAROUSELS, KITS, also miniature carousel parts. For info contact, Bernice Evarts, 121 Payne Ave., N. Tonawanda, NY 14120. (716) 692-7875. Email, [email protected]. www.miniaturecarousels.com.

MUSICBAND ORGAN MUSIC. The oldest and largest source of professionally recorded Carousel Music! New owners of Marion Roehl Recordings. Wholesale orders available. Visit www.bandorganmusic.com, or call (573) 471-7018.

BAND ORGAN CDs and tapes, also carousel related DVDs and videos, books, calendars, posters and more. (800) 558-7969 or visit us online at www.CarouselStore.com.

C A R O U S E L C L A S S I F I E D S MerrY-Go rounD MusIc

Carousel Workshop

CarouselWorkshop.comFor all your Carousel Supplies, Bases, Restoration & Painting

We will gladly make you custom bases.Deland, Florida 32720

Phone: 352-669-6449www.carouselworkshop.com


RESToRATIoNPROFESSIONAL, qUALITY RESTORATIONS. Custom Caving and Restoration. Email: [email protected]. 454 Acadia, Wichtia KS 67212. (316) 722-1872. www.customcarvingandrestoration.com.

RESTORATIONS BY WOLF, cover quality, affordable prices. Phone (301) 932-2734. www.carouselrestorations.com.

STANDSSTANDS, BRASS POLES, ROCKING HORSE accessories, Carousel Memories. Mike Mendenhall, Box 33225, Los Gatos, CA 95031. Phone: (408) 356-2306. email: [email protected].

CAST IRON & WOOD bases & pole sets $195 - $495. Send SASE. Carousel Workshop, 29915 Fullerville Rd., Deland, FL 32720. Phone: (352) 669-6449. Web: www.carouselworkshop.com.

TAIlSSOFT TANNED TAILS all sizes and colors. A quality horse tail. 2720 Old Orchard Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601. (717) 295-9188.

TOP qUALITY HORSE HAIR TAILS all colors and sizes. Running Horse Studio, 1660 La Vista Place, Pasadena, CA. (626) 793-1303.

WANTEDWANTED TO BUY. Small French figures, preferably unrestored. Ron Craig, 51 Maridale, Lincoln, IL 62556. (217) 735-3308.

WANTED TO BUY, looking for basket cases or animals needing repairs. Send photos to Ron Craig, 51 Maridale, Lincoln, IL 62556. (217) 735-3308.

WANTED: Looff or Carmel, [email protected] .

CAROUSEL ARCHIVES. Any and all information about historic carousels. Pictures, ads, and/or any kind of archive. One piece or whole collection. Contact us at [email protected] or (818) 332-7944.

C A R O U S E L C L A S S I F I E D S

DAVID A. NORTON’S

NORTON AUCTIONEERS

THE INDUSTRY EXPERTS

PROFESSIONAL AUCTIONEERS & APPRAISERS

CARNIVALS • PARKS • CAROUSELS FEC’s • MUSEUMS • TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

50 W. PEARL ST, COLDWATER, MICHIGAN, 49036-1967

800-279-9063 FAX (517) 279-9191

www.nortonauctioneers.com E-mail: [email protected]

Carousels for Sale! 1999 Chance 28’ Americana Carousel - $165,000

2006 SBF Merry Go Round Park Model - $150,000

Call Tony: 1.800.851.1001 x 222 www.firestonefinancial.com

RestorationWood repairs by ron Purdy

and John McKenzieGold and aluminum leafing

Oil painting by handspecializing in “back to factory”

Quality hair tails available inall colors & sizes.

(626) 793-1303Running HoRse studio • LouRinda BRay

[email protected]


MUSIC HORSES MINIATURES JEWELRY VIDEOS/DVDS BOOKS FIGURINES ORNAMENTS

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B R A S S R I N G E N T E R T A I N M E N T , 1 1 0 0 1 P E O R I A S T R E E T , S U N V A L L E Y , C A 9 1 3 5 28 1 8 - 3 9 4 - 0 0 2 8 • f a x 8 1 8 - 3 3 2 - 0 0 6 2 • s a l e s @ c a r o u s e l . c o m • w w w . c a r o u s e l . c o m

HISTORIC PTC CAROUSELS FOR SALE

1920 4-Row PTC CarouselIn storage for over 40 years.

Email or call for details:

1913 3-Row Portable PTC CarouselFrom the James E. Strates Shows.

1925 3-Row PTC Carousel From Kiddieland, IL • 16 PTC Signature Horses

HISTORIC PTC CAROUSELS FOR SALE

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