October 15, 2006
Restored 1922 carved-wood carousel opens in Dumbo
After more than 20 years of restoration, an exquisite 1922 carved-wood carousel is on display in a Brooklyn storefront/warehouse with ambitions to find a permanent home a few blocks away in the East River's Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Dubbed "Jane's Carousel" for Jane Walentas, who has led the restoration, the carousel is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It made its public debut this past Friday for the Dumbo Art Under the Bridge Festival.
It's free to see, but no one is yet allowed to ride the carousel because the space is too small to allow the public to ride safely.
The carousel, which features three rows of 48 horses and two chariots, was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, called PTC #61, for Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio. Walentas and her husband the developer, David, bought the carousel at auction in 1984 with hopes of restoring it and giving it to the city and state to operate in the waterfront park. The Walentas, who were at the carousel on Sunday afternoon as crowds filtered in and out, said they expect it will take at least a year before the carousel can move to the park.
Visitors to the carousel can also flip through scrapbooks of research, pictures and stencils used to repair the ride. A handout explains some of the work:The highly decorative and beautifully carved trappings, (saddles, bridles, and saddle pads,) were faithfully restore, repainted in Japan paints and artists' oils, and re-leafed in pure 24k gold and palladium. The horses were finally fully embellished with the replacement of missing faceted jewels, round beveled mirrors and delicate pinstriping. The rounding boards, scenery panels and structural pieces were all repainted, stenciled and re-leafed according to their original 1922 design and color palette. Hundreds of old beveled mirrors were restored and reglazed. The carousel has been totally rewired and dazzles with an amazing 1200 lights." The Carousel is located on Water Street between Jacques Torres Chocolates and St. Ann's Warehouse performance space, map.
Earlier: City pays $1.8 mln for Coney Island carousel
Bug carousel opens at Bronx Zoo
October 15, 2006 06:20 PM in Cheap Stuff, History, Kids, Out of Manhattan, Romance, Sightsology
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