Flying Horses
April 01 – December 18, 2011
American Art & Carousel Gallery
Upbeat band organ music, bright lights, a spinning platform, and rows of colorfully painted horses bring to mind the joy a carousel can bring and the simple pleasures of childhood. Yet carousels also speak to a lost era in American society. In a time before air conditioning and television, people visited amusement parks (often located at sea or lake shores) for cooling breezes, entertainment and a sense of community.
As America became increasingly urbanized, the demand increased for amusement parks, which in turn fueled the success of several carousel manufacturing companies. These companies used gifted immigrant woodcarvers to produce some of the most elegant, detailed and spectacular carousel animals ever created. “Flying Horses” includes examples of carvings from all of the carousel styles in America, as well as compelling images of these craftsmen at work.
