Learning About Carousel History with
Carousel Historian
Tobin Fraley
Source: Fresno State University
Posted on July 14,
2011
Fresno State University will be hosting an exhibit of
historic artistic carousel animals from July 16 to
August 31, 2011. In the following transcript, carousel
historian Tobin Fraley talks about the history of
carousel and Larry Freels' collection.
Coming
to this exhibit, what spectators will see here, they
will find wonderful examples of some of the best carving
by some of these phenomenal carvers. These master carves
really went above and beyond what they needed to do to
create just a seat on a ride. They really put their
heart and soul into using the carousel medium kind of as
their canvas -- at least that’s my take on it and
producing really intricate work.
Video courtesy of Fresno State University
There
was one carver in particular who I’m just astounded by,
his name was Daniel Muller. He went so far as to carve
stitching holes in the saddles of some of his pieces and
then actually inserted bits of thread in to get the
sense of the stitchery on the saddles, which clearly was
not necessary to somebody buying a ticket to take a ride
on that particular carousel.
What
I’m hoping is that when people come to this exhibit,
what they’ll see is this detail, this artwork that these
carvers created, aside from the wonderful, fanciful
qualities that were put into a lot of the carousel
animals. That age of creating a masterpiece in wood is
pretty much gone, so what somebody coming to this
exhibit is going to find are basically masterpieces of
carving, things you would not find today. It is an art
that is, not necessarily lost, but is fading quickly.
They look to a variety of designs, anywhere from Turkish
and Egyptian influences to Rococo, Renaissance, Gothic.
All of these different design elements you will find of
the sides of carousel figures, along with mythology,
dragons, knights and all kinds of amazing things that
would take the rider into a realm of fantasy itself.
The Freels
Foundation has a spectacular collection. There are other
collections out there that are on par, but this is one
of the best collections around. What Mr. Freels has been
able to put together is really a collection of some of
the best carousel animals that were made.
What we’re going
to have at the exhibit is really a wide variety of
different types of animals and different types of styles
from different carvers -- that it is a real window into
what was made and the quality of the work that was done
during that period of the Golden Age of the carousel.
This is not
something that you’re going to find just going to any
museum. It is something really very special.
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