This pathfinder will help you find information about the history of carousels in America.

Carousel Pathfinder
By Tamara Silberman

Central Park Carousel (http://www.centralpark.com/pages/attractions/carousel.html)

This website gives historical information about the Central Park Carousel, the cost of its admission, and a
brief history of its relationship to Central Park. It has the second largest horses of any carousel. The
horses were made by Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein. This website is intended for tourists and
people interested in the carousel. A carousel ride is $2.

The New England Carousel Museum (http://www.thecarouselmuseum.org/)

Features a great deal of information about Carousels, and their history in the U.S. The horses at the
Bushnell Park Carousel were made by Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein, one of only 3 left operating
for the public by these masters. The Website offers information about the museum, the gift shop, the
restoration department and memberships. It is brightly colored in purple with pink highlighters for the
selection buttons. This website is intended for tourists and people interested in the carousel. A carousel
ride is $1.

The Merry-Go-Round Museum (http://www.merrygoroundmuseum.org)

This website, in festive red and white colors, offers a slide show on how the horses are conceived, created
and carved. It gives the history of this museum, as well as of the historic carousel operating on its site.
This museum restores old carousel horses. The site plays the music that is played on the carousel. This
site offers information for the tourist and for people like myself who are eternally interested in the history
of the carousel. This will be my first stop the next stop when I go to Sandusky, OH. A free ride on the
carousel is included with the price of admission.
New York State Museum (http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibits/longterm/carousel/)

The New York State Museum in Albany has a historic carousel as one of its permanent exhibitions, as an
anchor component to the museum. The carousel was originally built between 1912 and 1916. The
animals date from an earlier era. The museum has vast holdings, and despite the extremely plain design
of the website, has links to many of its other exhibits, temporary and permanent. This looks like a
fascinating museum. Both the museum and the carousel are free.

The Prospect Park Carousel (http://history.amusement-parks.com/ppc.htm)

This is not an official website, but it has some beautiful pictures and a short history of the Carousel,
designed by Charles Carmel in 1912. The Carousel features 51 magnificently carved horses, a lion, a
giraffe, a deer, and two dragon-pulled chariots. This site also tells us that this is a ride that almost didn’t
make it; it was run into the ground and then closed for seven years, starting in 1983. The carousel costs
$1.50 but you can buy an annual membership with unlimited rides.

American Folk Art/ Recent Exhibitions (http://www.folkartmuseum.org/default.asp?id=1869)

This web site unfortunately does not link to the exhibit anymore. However, by clicking on the pictures,
you can see with your own eyes, the link between the art of the synagogue and the art of the carousel. The
lion of Judah, in particular, figures quite prominently in both the realms.
 Additional Resources:
Books about Carousels

Manns, William & Shank, Peggy. Painted Ponies: American Carousel Art, Zon International
Publishing. (2007)

Painted Ponies is the classic book of antique carousel art. This coffee table style book presents
the finest carving examples by the most renowned carousel artists. The rarest horses and most
unique menagerie animals were selected from America's premier private collections and antique
operating carousels. Painted Ponies contains useful guides, charts, and directories for collectors,
carvers, artists, and enthusiasts. This book contains over 650 color photographs, 256 pages,
9"x11.5", deluxe hardcover edition.

Papa, Carrie. The Carousel Keepers: An Oral History of American Carousels. Mcdonald and
Woodward Publishing Company (Australia). (1998)

This is a book for all who enjoyed the experiences of watching, hearing, and riding the wooden
carousel during the golden age of American amusement history -- and for those who continue to
appreciate the carousel, or merry-go-round, as a very special element of the American cultural
landscape. 107 black-and-white photographs and printed images. Testimonials from 37 people
who experienced the joy of carousels.

Zimiles,Murray. Gilded Lions and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel, Brandeis
University Press, an imprint of the University Press of New England. (2007)

Gilded Lions and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel traces the journey of Jewish
woodcarvers and other artisans from Eastern and Central Europe to America and the unsung role
they played in establishing a distinct Jewish culture in communities throughout the United States.
The exuberant artworks stand as a testament to a history of survival and transformation and
provide a surprising revelation of the link that was forged between the synagogue and the
carousel as immigrant Jewish artists transferred their carving skills from ritual objects to
American pop-culture.

Zon International Publishing (1999)  Carousel Art. Zon International Publishing

(Zon is listed as author as well as publisher.)

Strough, Lynn, A. Eliza’s Carousel Lion. Eliza is on a quest to find a cherished

carousel lion from her past.

No more info available. Available to purchase through Merry-go-Round Museum in

Sandusky, OH.
 Articles

CAROUSEL ART. (2003). In The Encyclopedia of American Folk Art. London: Routledge.
http://www.credoreference.com.cwplib.proxy.liu.edu/entry/6724288

CDs

Meijer, Tom (arranger) Good Old USA Carousel Music Volume 1 CD. 19 songs
including Give My Regards to Broadway; Smile, Smile; You're a Grand Old Flag,
Yankee Doodle Boy, Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Meijer, Tom (arranger) Good Old U.S.A. Carousel Music, Vol. 2 CD. Twenty tunes
including: Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee; I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now; Ma He's
Making Eyes At Me, Darktown Strutter's Ball
CAROUSEL HORSE WITH LOWERED HEAD
from GILDED LIONS AND JEWELED HORSES: THE SYNAGOGUE TO THE CAROUSEL

Charles Carmel (1865-1931)

Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York c. 1914
Paint on wood with jewels, glass eyes, and horsehair tail
58 5/8 x 63 x 14 7/8 in.

American Folk Art Museum, gift of Laura Harding, 1978.18.1

Photo by John Parnell, New York

CAROUSELS in AMERICA