Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Let's Talk Vintage #95: The Allure of the Carousel





Welcome to Let's Talk Vintage!

This is where I post about all things vintage and at the end, other bloggers (and sellers) can share their posts about their latest finds, projects, collections, etc.

Today I'm sharing our trip to an old fashioned Pennsylvania amusement park called Knoebels. They are celebrating 90 summers of fun and it all started in 1926 with the "Crystal Pool" and a carousel!

Knoebels is well known to be "old fashioned" because you can pay as you go for each ride, instead of paying a large sum at the gate.

But for me, it was the allure of the carousel....


Since I've never really been a roller coaster kind of gal, the sweet sound of the music and the beautifully carved horses have always attracted my attention.

(This photo is from the Knoebels website)
 
And so did this Carousel Museum which features over 50 carousel figures, scenery panels, chariot sides and other memorabilia from carousels dating back to 1870!
(Note: Info is from the Knoebels carousel museum web page)



 
This was a side panel, which oh-my-goodness,
I just love this old style of design. I
would love to have something like this in my house!
 
 
This was a great shot of some of the museum
horses. All hand carved, by the way.

 
These are amazing examples of the horses from the turn of the century. They all have actual hair for the tails, too.
 


Just simply awesome... these horses have wonderful patina, to say the least! The black one in particular is a real oldie but goodie. It is referred to as a "Standing Horse" and was made by the Merry Go Round Company out of Cincinnati Ohio around 1880. 


Bebe also enjoyed the museum but was mostly


intrigued by the gift shop jewelry! (Because at age

seven, museums are real yawners!)

 


 


 
This was an example of a British piece, notably a rooster. The British refer to a carousel as a "round about."


And this is the "Grand Carousel" that we rode on, the kind where you can still grab the brass ring, which Bebe soon had an obsession with enjoyed immensely.

It was built in 1913 at North Beach, Long Island! The horses were purchased from a wood-carver named Charles Carmel. Carmel was born in Russia in 1865, immigrated to the United States in 1883, and carved carousel figures in his Brooklyn shop. Knoebel's received it in 1941 after purchasing it from Riverside Park in Piscataway Township, NJ. It carries 63 horses and 3 chariots, making it one of the largest in the world. 

Thanks so much for coming along with me to the carousel museum!
 


Now, let's get to this week's features:


And speaking of dreamy, check out Debby Goes Shabby, where Debby shares her"Cinderella Guest Room." Just absolutely lovely!



and Anne's Attic Design shared how to put colors and florals into your home décor. My heart goes pitter patter for the hints of pink among the teal blue!

and Melissa of Melissa's Antiques shares her great ideas to help you plan your trip for the world's Longest Yard Sale. Someday my hubby and I will have to try them out!

11 comments:

Bernideen said...

Love that carousel and the old subdued colors!

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Thanks so much for the party!! I love Knoebels but have not been there for years. When my sons were young , we went at least 2-3x a Summer. Their Day Care center ran a yearly trip there and the health care system that I work for ( main hospital is located very lose to Knoebels)used to have a yearly picnic there for employees until budget cuts made them cancel it. What I liked about Knoebels is that it is still privately owned, one of the prettiest parks in the US and there is NO admission fee!!The carousel has always been a special attraction to me too!! Glad you enjoyed this pretty Pa. Park!!
Hugs,
Deb

The French Hutch said...

I LOVE CAROUSELS! Always a favorite since my childhood. Thanks for hosting…….

Joyce - Quilted Nest said...

since we're just newly getting a camper ready to roll again... we just may have to head to Knoebels or put it on the calendar for next year... it's been a number of years since we actually 'did' the park (although we've stopped in for other things). And 'gasp' we'd be doing it w/o any kiddos this time around! :) I love me the Log Flume or whatever it's called. It's the only roller coaster I can tolerate! Oh - and the silo slide - I can handle that too. But precious little else! :)

Rita C at Panoply said...

What a fantastic museum! Great features too, Jill. Thanks for sharing all!

Donna Wilkes said...

I have always loved carousels and still ride them today. Thank you for sharing those lovely vintage animals.

Debby Goes Shabby said...

Jillian

Thank you for the feature of my Cinderella Guest Room. Love your post today very pretty and would love to visit one day to ride the rides.

Debby
Debbygoesshabb.blogspot.com

Melissa said...

Thanks for the feature! :)

Heidi | Mysweetcottage.com said...

Jillian, love all those carrousel pieces, what fun! And so beautiful. Thanks for hosting another lovely party.

My thrift store addiction said...

Jillian, I love the carousel animals! Thank you for hosting!

Gina @ VictorianWannaBe said...

Hi Jillian, I am a big fan of carousels and the horses too, especially the older ones. I have done a post on carousels and have read up on the history of them, so cool. I have a neat numbered and signed print from a Quincy Illinois artist and it is of an old carousel out in the woods, and it is called Weathered Memory, I just love it! Look it up on my blog if you want to see it, I think you'll like it. My kids say is looks spooky.
Hope you are doing well!