Carousel Memories is a new 2011 Christmas ornament from Inge-Glas of Germany. Exquisitely detailed, made of European mouth blown, hand painted glass. Ornament is from the "Christmas Visions" collection. A year has 365 days and many countless moments to remember. Some of these can be fulfilled on Christmas day. Ornaments from the Christmas Visions collection delight both young and old. Remember the occasion with a special ornament.
Carousels are so much fun and probably everyone has a carousel memory. Our grandson who is soon to be three, was entranced by the Carousel at Gatlinburg this past Christmas. The carousel at Ober Gatlinburg was just perfect for him. We were there on a day that wasn't so busy and the nice young attendant let him stay on and ride and ride. (It was a pay once kind of thing, he wasn't giving free rides...we just didn't have get off and wait in line to get back on again. He became fascinated with the "b-lack" horse as he called it. He could ride no other, it had to be the "b-lack" one. He rode so much I thought he was going to fall asleep on the horse!
Carousels have a very interesting history. According to Wikipedia, the first carousel to be seen in the United States was created in Hessville, Ohio during the 1840s by Franz Wiesenhoffer. Several centers and styles for the construction of carousels emerged in the United States, Philadelphia style, with Dentzel and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, Coney Island style with Charles I. D. Looff, Charles Carmel, Marcus Charles Illions, Soloman Stein and Harry Goldstein and Mangels, Country Fair style with Allan Herschell and Edward Spillman of Upstate New York, and Charles W. Parker of Kansas. Early on the Dentzels became known for their beautiful horses and lavish use of menagerie animals on their carousels. Their mechanisms were also considered among the very best for durability and reliability. Gustav's sons, William and Edward operated the company until William's death in 1927 at which time the company was auctioned off. By this time many carousel companies had gone out of business or diversified into other rides due to the hardships of the depression.
Browse the Wikipedia site and read more....they have great photos of old carousels too.
The "Carousel Memory" ornament will make a great keepsake for my grandson's trip to the mountains and wouldn't you just know it, Old World Christmas has a "Carousel Horse" with a "b-lack" mane))))
