THE CHIPPEWA PARK CAROUSEL' Background Information A History and Description The Chippewa Park Carousel has brought joy and excitement to countless numbers of children and adults since it was purchased from Mrs. Maude King of Fort Erie, Ontario, on June 21, 1934. The Fort William Parks Board bought the carousel for $583.33 when Mrs. King's travelling carnival went into bankruptcy while operating at Chippewa Park. The Chippewa Park carousel represents a living fragment of simpler times gone by; it is one of fewer than two hundred intact hand carved wooden carousels still functioning out of an estimated eight thousand produced during the golden age of carousels. The Chippewa Park Carousel is a two-abreast 'County Fair' model, designed to be dismantled frequently and transported by train or horse-drawn wagon from town to town. No one can know where the carousel travelled between the time of its construction (some time between 1918 and 1920) and its purchase by the City of Fort William in the mid-thirties. The knowledge of the historic and artistic significance of the carousel had been evolving for some time. It was during a visit of representatives from the Royal Ontario Museum in November of 1987 that the intrinsic and economic value of the carousel became heightened. Although visiting for other reasons, the comments of the ROM representatives spurred Department staff on to evaluate the situation. This led to the preliminary consideration of a display of Chippewa Park's carousel animals by the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. The gallery's director, while expressing interest in a carousel exhibit, also acknowledged concern for the carousel's security and conservation as well as the pressing need to authenticate the carousel. Further carousel research involved contacting the Director of Parks for the City of St. Catherines who overviewed the community's restoration efforts with their three-abreast Dentzel carousel. A contact for the American Carousel Association was also thus obtained. The American Carousel Association's Conservation Chairman, Charles Walker, was contacted by phone in early January 1988. Subsequent correspondence with Mr. Walker established the Chippewa Park carousel's identity as a C. W. Parker carousel and one of only three similar carousels known to exist. Mr. Walker also referred the Department to Mr. Frederick Fried, the foremost authority on American three-dimensional folk art, in order to arrange for authentification of the Chippewa Park carousel. Frederick Fried visited Thunder Bay in June of 1988. He spoke about carousels with the Parks and Recreation Department staff and with interested members of the community. Mr. Fried's assessment and valuation of the Chippewa Park carousel represents the basis of our commitment to the better protection and continued operation of our carousel. In the words of Frederick Fried, carousels are "the original form of the mobile, containing all of its elements; painting on the rims, wooden sculpture, motion and music" (Fried, 1988).
General History of the Carousel The carousel, as we know it today, boasts a long and illustrious history. Its oldest and simplest form comes to us by way of a Byzantine bas-relief circa 500 A.D., where carousel riders, clinging to the end of ropes, were spun around a turning centre pole (Fraley & Sinick, 1987, 7). The Italian 'carosello' or 'carosella' or 'garosello' translates as 'little war' and refers to an Arabian game adopted by the Spanish crusaders and carried throughout Europe in the 17 th century. This was a contest between skilled horsemen with the objective of catching small clay balls containing scented oil; unsuccessful contestants were "enveloped in the 'smell of defeat'" (Manns & Shank, 1986, 9). By mid-seventeenth century, the French Royal Court was holding an event called the 'carrousel'; these pageants involved skilled horsemanship wherein knights contested their skills with the scented clay balls as well as in attempts to spear a gold ring with a lance while riding at full gallop (Manns & Shank, 9). The most famous and enduring of these events was 'Le Grand Carrousel' of June 5 and 6, 1662 held by Louis XIV to impress his teenaged mistress Louise de la Vailliere (Fried, 1964, 18). Le Grand Carrousel was held in a square between the Tuilleries and the Louvre, still referred to as the 'Place du Carrousel': "saddle makers, tailors, wigmakers and jewellers concocted extravagant creations for both horse and rider participating in an event that resembled a midday gala rather than a 'little war' (Manns & Shank, 9). This day time fancy-dress ball, which involved a circular parade upon ornately decorated horses, most certainly influenced the fancifully carved trappings of carousel horses two hundred years later (Fried, 1988). By 1680, the French had developed a mechanical carousel that was used as a training device for the ring spearing tournament. Carved horses and chariots were suspended from beams that radiated from a central pole; a horse, a mule or a man supplied the locomotion (Fried, 1964, 19). Riders sat on the horses and tried to spear a ring that hung just outside the perimeter; this soon became generally popular and spread throughout Europe (Fraley & Sinick, 8). In 1832, a crank drive carousel was developed both in France and in England; a handle was attached to a set of gears connected to the centre pole. The faster the crank was turned, the more swiftly the carousel rotated. In the words of Frederick Fried: "The French had provided the name, developed the carousels introduced by the Turks, and added the brass rings to the mechanical ride. They then brought it to the highest stage in which it could be driven by man or beast. It was the English who provided the tremendous stimulus which advanced the carousel into a new epoch" (30). In 1870, an Englishman by the name of Frederick Savage mounted a small steam engine on wheels, fitted a series of wheels into a 'cheese wheel' into which were fitted radiating beams called 'sweeps' (Fried, 31). This rotating frame supported various types of seats for riders and allowed for both an increase in the weight a carousel could hold and an increase in its size (Fried, 31-33). Savage also designed and patented the overhead cranking device that produced the up and down motion for the carousel horses - the 'jumpers' or the 'gallopers' (Fried, 31). Historical records attest to the presence of the carousel on North American soil as early as 1825, but these crude 'Flying Horses' were constructed by wheelwrights and farmers in their spare time (Fried, 51-52). The first person to successfully establish the manufacture and distribution of the carousel was Gustav Dentzel, the son of a German cabinetmaker and carousel builder, who arrived, alone, in Philadelphia in 1860. Gustav built his first simple bench-seat, horse-powered
carousel in the late 1860's. With its positive reception he established his factory and began to produce and operate carousels (Fried, 52). Thus began what is known as the golden age of the carousel. Contemporary North American Styles of Carousels There are three general styles of carousel constructed in the United States of America between 1870 and 1930. The Philadelphia Style was established in the 1870's by Gustav Dentzel. It is characterized by realistic but colorful horses and menagerie animals (giraffes, zebras, roosters, lions, tigers, bears, ostriches, camels, rabbits, cats, dogs, frogs, goats, elk, elephants and hippocampi) that graced the large, lavish, three and four-abreast stationary carousels built for amusement parks, seaside resorts and other countries (Fried, 58; Manns & Shank, 19). The Coney Island style was pioneered by Charles I. D. Looff of Brooklyn, New York, who built his first carousel for the Coney Island seaside resort in 1876. This style is characterized by flamboyance; very flashy and highly stylized horses and menagerie animals with wild gilt manes and ornate trappings were mounted on large stationary carousels, constructed for resorts and amusement parks. (Fried, 62; Manns & Shank, 19). The County Fair style was founded by Charles W. F. Dare of Green Point, Brooklyn, in the late 1800's. It is characterized by simplicity and greater mobility. The C. W. Parker Company and the North Tonawanda Company both constructed carousels for the North American County Fair circuit (Manns & Shank, 19). Their contrast to the stationary carousels is best illustrated by these statements from Painted Ponies: "In the sleeked-down style of the County Fair Carousels, form and function were as closely united as the wooden horses and their built in saddles....the County Fair breed was developed to gallop across the country side in a whirlwind of one night stands" (Manns & Shank, 175). The C. W. Parker Carousel The builder of our Chippewa Park carousel, Charles Wallace Parker, was ~ born in April of 1864 in Griggsville, Illinois. In 1869 his family moved by 'prairie schooner' to Abilene, Kansas. Parker, who had worked as a farmer and a janitor, began his career in the entertainment business with the purchase of a shooting gallery. Upon the realization of his investment he bought into a second hand carousel, Parker bought out his partners; his persistent tinkering with the carousel inspired him to construct his first carousel in 1892. Within three years the C. W. Parker Carnival Supply Company was in production (Fried, 84; Manns & Shank, 181). The self-titled 'Amusement King' referred to his carousels as 'Carry-Us-Alls' stating that he had heard some Negro riders calling it that (Fried,85). By 1902 Parker had established his first travelling carnival and by 1906 his company was supplying his own and other carnivals with carved wagon showfronts, shooting galleries, concessions, banners, ferris wheels, monkey speedways using live monkeys as drivers on fixed courses, band organs, railroad cars. portable
electric lighting plants and his portable 'Jumping Horse Carry-us-Alls' (Manns & Shank, 181; Fried, 86). In the years of its operation, (until the middle of the 1920's), the C. W. Parker Company constructed approximately eight hundred Carry-us-Alls with numbered identification plates on the center pole (Manns & Shank, 194). C. W. Parker produced three 'design periods' of Carry-Us-Alls; our Chippewa Park carousel is from his best period (Walker, 1988). Unlike other carousel manufacturers, Parker produced horses exclusively. In the words of Frederick Fried (129), his early horses were "in a class by themselves, long and sinewy with thin sensitive heads and manes rolled back in gentle 'S' curves...". These early horses 'pranced' in an upright position. After the Parker factory moved to Leavenworth, Kansas in 1911, the horse design changed to the outstretched position. This new design produced dramatically posed horses with their forelegs curled for a lunge and their hind legs kicked out. The identical leg position made the erection and dismantling of the carousels easier. The horses were stacked on wooden frames for transport by rail or horse-drawn cart. These horses were designed "to take a minimum of space and a maximum of abuse" (Manns & Shank, 183). They had hollow heads and necks, laminated bodies, solid tails and legs; ears were close to the head, tails were short and embellishments had few protruding edges (Fried, 130; Manns & Shank, 183). Parker used the Kansas countryside and midwestern culture for inspiration in the designs of the horses' trappings. Horses were carved with fish dangling from the cantle, dogs' head cantles and Parker's favourite - a cob of corn on the back of the saddle (Fraley & Sinick, 20). The Chippewa Park carousel horses sport both dogs heads and cobs of corn carved on their cantles. As well, many horses produced in the Leavenworth factory were shod with real metal shoes that were inscribed with "11 Worth" (Manns & Shank, 188). Our carousel has many horses who still wear their original factory shoes. In 1917, Parker secured the copyright for the designs of a new set of horses for his carousels; although smaller than previous designs, the horses hold stiff, exaggerated poses; Frederick Fried (87) refers to them as horses of great character and distinction. Fried (130) refers to Parker's mention that he 'imported' carvers during this period. Manns and Shank (194) refer directly to a group of World War I German prisoners of war who were allowed to work for Parker. These talented woodworkers gave Parker's horses a distinctive identification characterized by "wild wind blown manes, pompadour forelocks, bobbed tails and lavish saddle decorations. Horses with their head stretched up in the 'stargazer pose' also became popular figures on Parker's carousels. The Chippewa Park carousel hails from this design period. Design and Construction In general, it took approximately forty hours of labour to produce the average carousel horse. The basic contour patterns were designed by the master carver; general shapes were cut out by hand or by machine and fastened using wooden dowels and rabbit hide glue. Poplar, pine and basswood were used by these craftsmen. The body was assembled like a box; strong, light and transportable. The head and legs were glued and carved separately and attached to the roughed out body whereupon the final carving took place (Fraley & Sinick, 13). The head and mane were reserved for the most talented carver and from this evolved the phrase "head man" to designate the
person in charge (Manns & Shank, 21). The side of the horse that faced the audience, the 'Romance' side, was more ornately carved than the side of the horse facing inward. Chariots with bench seats were included on all types of carousels. Their style and decoration varied, yet they all served to carry "the faint of heart, small children and women too modest to straddle a horse" (Manns & Shank, 14). The Chippewa Park carousel has two rather plain chariots. Although Parker included chariots on his carousels, these chariots have been modified by persons unknown since the construction of this carousel. 'Crestings' or 'rounding boards' refer to the upper decorative outside parts of the carousel. Some, like our Chippewa Park carousel, have carved frames surrounding mirrors. On other carousels, these frames contained painted panels "whose subjects varied from the sublime to the ridiculous (Fried, 163). Our carousel's rounding boards also sport carved dragons and flowers all contained within a simply-carved frame. These rounding boards have been modified in the years since the carousel's construction. The drive mechanism of the carousel was contained behind decorated wood panels at the centre of the entire unit. Once again, the degree of decoration of these panels varied between styles of carousels; but they all served to provide further visual stimulation for the carousel riders. The Chippewa Park carousel's centre panels are simple boards framing stylized medieval lions, which may or may not represent the original factory design. Motive power for the carousel evolved from man or horse to steam to electricity. Our Chippewa Park carousel was purchased in 1934 with an Eli Motor Drive steam engine, which although not operable, still resides at the Park. The carousel's mechanism is presently powered by electricity. The carousel ride would not be complete without music. Early carousels were often accompanied by live musicians. As the industry evolved, military band organs with decorated facades became closely associated with the carousels; often they were provided with power from a small engine drawn by a belt from the main drive mechanism (Fried, 178). The Chippewa Park carousel was purchased with a Wurlitzer band organ, which although pleasing to the eye with its original painted panels and wooden cabinet, is no longer in operation. The builder of this device, Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer, emigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio from Germany in 1853. While working as a bank cashier, he sold handcrafted wooden musical instruments in his spare time. In 1861 he established his own factory; opened his first retail store in 1865, and in 1909 began to manufacture band organs with his patented self-winding roll mechanism. By 1920 the Wurlitzer Company dominated the band organ market (Fried, 198). The End of the "Golden Age of Carousels" The end of the golden age of carousels was brought about by a series of developments. The 'age of mechanization' introduced the carving machine, whereby many identical horses could be produced from a stock of preset patterns of horse heads and bodies. World War I caused a shortage of supplies, and the Great Depression caused a significant decline in the demand for carousels.
Both of these economic developments made carousel production less profitable; survivors switched to simpler machines and/or mass production. The final development occurred in the 1940's with the widespread use of aluminum and associated improvements in the casting process (Manns & Shank, 14; Fraley & Sinnick, 124). Wooden carousel horse construction was rapidly replaced by the far more expedient production of aluminum carousel horses. In the years since their 'golden age', wooden carousels have had to withstand many threats to their existence. Frederick Fried, in the course of research for his 1964 book, A Pictoral History of the Carousel (215), surveyed amusement ride insurers and discovered that -fire and other forces of nature destroy at least two large park-type carousels each year. Neglect and lack of awareness over the decades have also taken their toll. Since the publication of Frederick Fried's ground breaking work on the carousel, there has been a resurgence of interest in the wooden carousel with associated benefits and threats to the continued survival of remaining intact carousels. At present, these antique wooden carousel animals are prized collectibles, much sought after by folk art collectors who will pay tens of thousands of dollars for a single carousel animal. This has resulted in the dismantling of many old carousels estimated at five to seven per year (Walker, 1988). Their sale, piece by piece at auction, can net the seller and the auctioneer vast sums of money. This threatening situation has resulted in the formation of organizations committed to the preservation of intact wooden carousels. Groups such as the American National Carousel Association have undertaken to census still intact carousels and to lobby actively for their preservation. Journals and newsletters dispense information about carousels, preservation efforts, maintenance and restoration techniques. These organizations encourage the establishment of local advocacy groups in cities with carousels and through projects such as Adopt-a-Carousel, they foster a wider base of support. Appraisal and Value In June of 1988 Frederick Fried came to Thunder Bay to undertake an assessment and valuation of our Chippewa Parker Carousel. He described our carousel as: A complete operating two-row carousel with two chariots, each seating four passengers, and mounted by twenty-eight hand-carved and decorated jumping horses, fourteen in each row, all mounted on a 42 foot diameter platform. Overhead is a rim of sectional panels, each identically adorned with rustic carvings. All suspended from a centerpole supported and surrounded by an A-frame, the sectional gear, the drive mechanisms, and the upper illustrated panels hiding part of the equipment, all covered by a circular canopied covering of brightly-colored fabric. and declared it to be in good, safe, stable, operating condition. Mr. Fried deduced a market estimation of value of the carousel, in consideration the increasing rarity of Parker carousels especially in excellent condition with unusual folk art carvings of the horses and decorations" and emphasized the need for attention to security and conservation.
The Wurlitzer 146B band organ and the Eli Motor Drive were also assessed and valued by Mr. Fried. The band organ dates from the second decade of this century and is described as a 'duplex type playing rolls of music by compressed air from a chest of bellows'. The organ is contained,in a wooden cabinet and two rolls of music remain, although not in usable condition. The organ is repairable at a cost of approximately $14,000.00. The Eli motor drive was also made by the Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda in the second decade of this century. The Eli motor drive is inoperative and although it is repairable, the cost estimate of repairs would require a part-by-part examination. Issues and Challenges Our Chippewa Park, C. W. Parker Carry-Us-All, is one of only three remaining examples of its kind. Adding to this rarity are its size; a two-abreast model; and its western origin; carousels made further away from New York are more rare (Walker, 1988). Furthermore, our carousel is in excellent condition. The cold and relatively dry Thunder Bay climate has prevented the damage caused by wood boring insects, a problem that plagues wooden carousels in more southernly locations. Our wooden horses have also been protected by the many layers of paint they have accumulated over the decades. The closest similar carousel is in Crossroads Village, Michigan (Walker, 1988). West Vancouver also possesses a larger Parker carousel and other Canadian cities who can lay claim to carousels of other makes are Toronto at Centre Island, Canada's Wonderland and St. Catherines, Ontario. Some municipalities, for example West Vancouver, are engaged in attempts to raise enough money to purchase the carousels residing within their city limits. Thunder Bay is very fortunate in this regard, having purchased our carousel, in full, for $583.33 in 1934. This advantage of ownership includes associated responsibilities. Although we are not pressed to raise purchase funds, responsible ownership of our carousel entails the allocation of funds for secure and proper storage, restoration to original factory condition, and public relations to raise community awareness. Appropriate storage involves attention to security from fire, vandalism and theft as well as conservative temperature and humidity control. Most stationary carousels of the past and the present are contained within pavilions that allow protection from the elements as well as year-round access to the ride. Our carousel should be contained; optimally within a modern building whose design is based upon period carousel pavilions. In order to preserve the integrity of our carousel, acknowledgement of its unique status as a working piece of art is in order. It is important to keep the carousel in operation while having it restored to its original beauty, using the most up-to-date curatorial and conservation techniques available. Finally, our community should be made aware of this unique heritage. Our carousel is irreplaceable and thus deserving of recognition for its value as a piece of art and of appreciation of its status as an example of three-dimensional folk art. City residents and tourists should have the opportunity to enjoy a ride on our carousel while appreciating it as a source of civic pride and as a source of nostalgia for our childhood and for times gone by.
References Fraley, Tobin and Sinick, Gary. The Carousel Animal. San Francisco, CA.: Chronicle Books, 1987. Fried, Frederick. A Pictorial History of the Carousel. Vestal, N. Y.: The Vestal Press Ltd., 1964. Fried, Frederick. Lecture at Chippewa Park, June 14, 1988. Manns, William and Shank, Peggy. Painted Ponies: American Carousel Art. Millwood, N. Y.: Ion International Publishing, 1986. Walker, Charles. Personal Communication, January 20, 1988.