The Carousel Keepers: An Oral History of American Carousels

This is a book for all who enjoyed the experiences of watching, hearing, and riding the wooden carousel during the golden age of American amusement history -- and for those who continue to appreciate the carousel, or merry-go-round, as a very special element of the American cultural landscape. This book contains 107 black-and-white photographs and printed images. Carrie Papa invited thirty-seven 'insiders' -- people who lived behind the lights, music, magic, and fantasy of the antique wooden carousel to reveal the purposes, experiences, memories, and emotions of their involvement with this form of amusement and entertainment. The reader will hear the stories of manufacturers of carousels and the craftsmen who made them, owners and managers of amusement parks, carousel operators and support personnel, riders, and those who have studied, preserved, and revitalised carousels and preserved interest in them. These accounts provide windows onto the everyday life of participants in the industry -- onto the reality behind the nostalgia -- and document an important part of our national amusement heritage.