PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM® TO RESTORE A 1924 DENTZEL CAROUSEL FOR NEW HOME AT MEMORIAL HALL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2006
Contact: Kathleen Miller, 215-963-0667
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Please Touch Museum® plans to restore a 1924 Dentzel carousel to operate at its future home at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. The carousel once operated at Woodside Park, formerly located less than 10 blocks from Memorial Hall, and later, at the Music Circus at Lambertville, NJ. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) has loaned the carousel, in a long-term agreement to Please Touch Museum.
“PHMC is delighted to have this historic Pennsylvania carousel return to Philadelphia where it will be accessible to a new generation at Please Touch Museum,” says Barbara Franco, Executive Director of PHMC.
Currently, the carousel is in a storage facility in Massachusetts. The carousel will be transported to Ohio where restoration experts will repair all of the mechanical parts and center portion. The animals and chariots will travel to North Carolina and California where they will be repaired and painted. When all necessary work has been completed, the carousel will be reassembled in Philadelphia at Memorial Hall inside a new 7,500 square foot glass carousel house constructed on the east side of the building. The entire process should take close to 20 months.
“By restoring this particular carousel, Please Touch will be returning a piece of Philadelphia history back to families of the region,” says Stacey Swigart, Curator at Please Touch Museum. “A ride on the carousel will become a memorable part of the Please Touch Museum at Memorial Hall experience.”
Swigart also wants the public to know that the museum is looking for memories of the carousel at Woodside Park. Those interested in sharing stories and/or photos can contact Stacey Swigart at carousel@pleasetouchmuseum.org or at 215-963-0667, x 3143.
The carousel to be restored was created by the Dentzel Carousel Company of Germantown. It is a 52 foot, three-abreast jumper carousel with a stationary outside row of animals. It contains 52, hand carved, multi-colored animals and two chariots. In the shape of an octadecagon (eighteen sided polygon), it has 16 stationary horses on the outside row. Eighteen beveled mirrors, each surrounded by a clown head and decorated with acanthus leaves, are attached to the outside rounding board. In addition to the rare “flirting rabbit” character, the carousel contained 40 horses, four rabbits, four cats, two pigs, two goats and two chariots. One of the most intriguing and unique features of the carousel are the 1,278 light sockets lining the cross beams and decorating the entire lower edge of the outer rim, clown shields and mirror frames. The Smithsonian acquired the carousel and noted it was “one of the most fantastic illuminated designs ever seen.”
Several moves and years of being in storage have taken their toll on the plaster and woodwork. Several components are missing and will need to be fabricated. Please Touch has selected a team of restorers to bring the carousel back to life. Under the umbrella “Carousels and Carvings,” owned by Todd Goings, a group of carousel restoration artists and carvers have been brought together. “Carousels and Carvings” was formed in 1989 when Goings - a carpenter/industrial pattern maker - began working on wooden carousel figures and carousel mechanisms. Together with Ed Roth, Adrianna Roth and Rosa Ragan, this team has 69 years of collective experience in the care, restoration, maintenance, operation and manufacturing of carousels.
Please Touch Museum is very excited at the prospect of bringing back a piece of Philadelphia history for families to enjoy once more. The museum has organized an ambitious fundraising plan for the carousel as part of the capital campaign to fund the new museum at Memorial Hall. The museum and carousel are expected to open in 2008. If you would like more information regarding support for the carousel project, please contact Kelly Resinger at Please Touch Museum - 215-963-0667, ext. 3138 or kresinger@pleasetouchmuseum.org.
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The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the Commonwealth’s official history agency. The 25 historic sites and museums it operates tell the rich history of Pennsylvania. Its numerous programs help communities to value, identify and protect their architectural and archaeological resources as well as collecting, preserving and sharing the archives and material culture of Pennsylvania.
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Please Touch Museum® - Celebrating 30 Years of Learning Through Play - 1976-2006
Please Touch Museum is dedicated to enriching the lives of children by providing learning opportunities through play. Recognized locally and nationally as one of the best children’s museums, Please Touch is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Admission is $9.95 for adults and children age one and over. Children under one are free. For more information, please call 215-963-0667, visit our web site at www.pleasetouchmuseum.org or email us at marketing@pleasetouchmuseum.org.
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