The Afterlife of Carousel Animals
Not all carousel animals were sold and moved onto other carousels when theirs ceased to exist. Some ended up in much different settings. Here are some photos from the early 1900’s through the 1980’s of carousels animals as treasured backyard playthings, props, and in studio settings. In some cases, the reasons for their departure from their carousels is evident – broken legs, deteriorating conditions – but others bare no evidence as to why they became strays.
Unfortunately, there is nothing on the majority of the photos to indicate where and when they were taken and who the subjects are.