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Change
Is Inevitable
Another great addition was the fact that the new carousels
could play music. Using a pipe organ, music was played with the help of
steam from the engine blowing through the pipes. Roofs were added, the
horses moved up and down, and elaborately decorated seats were added for
those people who didn't want to ride the wooden horses. Many merry-go-rounds
were designed to travel. They were loaded on wagons or trains and journeyed
from city to city. As with all popular things, however, there is competition.
In the late 1800s, manufacturers of carousels tried to outdo one another
as they competed to see who could create the biggest, fanciest merry-go-round.
Making Merry Go 'Round
One manufacturing company of carousels is the Dentzel
Carousel Company. It has been around for over 150 years, creating beautiful
merry-go-rounds. One creative animal that they have used for their carousels
is called a hippocampus. It is a horse, but it has a fish tail, almost
like a mermaid. Their carousels, like most carousels today, are run by
electricity. It wasn't until 1915 that this was used as a power source,
though.
Shall I Lead?
An old carousel legend says that there is a lead horse
on every carousel. The way to find the lead horse is to look for the biggest,
most beautifully decorated horse. Usually, this horse is a war horse or
a military horse. Another way to find the lead horse can only be used
if there is a chariot on the carousel. The lead horse is the first horse
right behind the chariot on the outside of the platform.
Carousel horse
with a chariot.
Hey,
That's Not a Horse...
Carousels continued to change and get better. Some had rings
made of brass that riders could try to spear with little wooden wands,
just like the early game that spawned the carousel. Then, other animals
were added to the merry-go-round, such as lions, tigers, zebras, rabbits,
seals, kangaroos, bison, bears, and even chariots in the form of lobsters.
Ships, trains, and other forms of transportation were also used as chariots
or in place of horses. But no matter what was used on the carousel, it
was always carefully carved and hand-crafted, then beautifully painted
to form a spectacular sight. Murals and pictures were painted at the top
of the merry-go-round, and the pole and center were also carefully carved
and decorated. Carousels became a beautiful, meticulously manufactured
ride that can now be found at most parks and fairs.
The following references were
used in writing this article:
Dentzel, William H. "A Brief Carousel History and the Dentzels."
Carousel History and Library. 1998 http://www.dentzel.com/ her-muse/history.htm#anchor1000
(June 2000)
Dentzel, William H. "Carousel History From Asia and Europe to America." 1999 http://www.dentzel.com/campcaro/index.htm# anchor1002 (June 2000)
"How Do You Tell the Lead Horse On a Carousel?" Carousel. 1998 http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/carousel2. html (June 2000)
"The Amusement Park Industry-A Very Brief History." History. 1998 http://www.carousel.org/amusement.html (June 2000)
Thomas, Art. Merry-Go-Rounds. Minnesota: Carolrhoda Books, 1981.