Carousels by State

 

This section has photos of carousels that are currently operating, or were within the last 40 years.

These pictures are from different photographers, locations, cameras, film types and processing.  Some photos from the 1970’s were taken with Instamatic point-and-shoot cameras that used 126 film (square pictures) and 110 film (rectangular pictures).  Other pictures were taken with SLR 35MM cameras. The quality of the pictures is mostly reflective of the camera and film types.  While the Instamatic cameras were enormously popular, the quality of the pictures was not the best, especially when combined with the textured paper that was popular at the time.

Another folly was 5247 film.  It was popular in the 1980’s.  For $5, you got 36 prints and slides, negatives and a free roll of film to keep you coming back.  It was movie film cut to 35MM size.  Unfortunately, it did not hold colors well and now, 20 + years later, they are not true.  Color-correcting has been done, but there are still traces of color distortion.  Other images are from Kodachrome and Ektachrome film – forever outstanding.

Where the pictures are not the best, I chose to post them anyway.  Most of the carousels are gone.  Approximately 175 carousels were broken up for their animals in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  If the carousels are among the 150 that are still operational, their paint has changed since the pictures were taken.  Some images show unrestored carousels with “park paint” – utilitarian quality paint and paint jobs.  This look really no longer exists.

Carousels by State are in order by – State, City, Location, Make of Carousel, Date Pictures Were Taken, GONE or OP (OPERATIONAL), and who is credited for the photos.