HISTORY OF THE CAROUSEL

"The carousel is in full motion as the curtain rises. . . . "

So describe the stage directions of Carousel's dreamlike opening sequence. Set to the waltz of a carousel in a late 19th-century New England amusement park, the prologue wordlessly captures the fateful first meeting of carnival barker Billy Bigelow and mill worker Julie Jordan, who has come to the amusement park after a long day's work.

The fictional carousel, on which Billy works and Julie rides, would have been going 'round during the so-called "golden age" of the carousel industry.

American carousel manufacturing was particularly on the rise, owing to the emigration of German carousel craftsman Gustav Dentzel to Philadelphia in 1860 and to the Industrial Revolution, which produced technological advancements allowing for the mechanical operation of the formerly manual devices.

Manually operated versions of the carousel date back to 500 A.D., when riders in Byzantium swung in baskets suspended from a center pole.

The term "carousel" derives from the Italian "garosello" and Spanish "carosella," which both translate to "little war." The terms were used by Italian and Spanish crusaders in the 12th century to describe a ball-game played by Arabian and Turkish horseman.

By the late 15th century, the game had spread throughout Europe. The French called it "carrousel" and elaborated it into a royal pageant.

Around 1680, a device was added to the pageant with legless wooden horses hung in a circle around a central axle. The device was turned by a horse, mule or servant as ridersÑyoung princes and knightsÑattempted to spear rings on the circle's outer edge.

Adopted for recreational use shortly thereafter, the device was reproduced by local craftsmen and began to appear in public fairs throughout Europe and America over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The carousel accrued new names along with its popularity: "roundabout" and "galloper" in Britain; "manege de chevaux de bois" in France; "stoomcaroussel" in The Netherlands; "torneo" in Italy; "karussel" in Germany; and "whirligig," "carry-us-all," "spinning jinny" and "merry-go-rounds" in America.

In the late 1860s the carousel underwent substantial modernization when English engineer Frederick Savage built the first steam-powered model. The stronger, faster power source allowed the carousel to increase in size and prompted the addition of a foundational platform and up-and-down cranks.

Simultaneous with modernization was a refinement of craftsmanship: a so-called "golden age" of carousel production that cultivated hand-carved wooden animals and decorative paneling to cover the mechanics.

Particularly celebrated among craftsmen was German manufacturer Michael Dentzel, whose son Gustav would dominate the American carousel industry after emigrating in 1860.

In 1870, Gustav Dentzel built a large steam-powered carousel in the Smith's Island amusement resort near Philadelphia. The ride was so successful that it toured the Atlantic coast.

American companies began to imitate Denzel's creation; soon, the steam-powered, elaborately decorated, musically accompanied carousel had become the centerpiece of American amusement parks.

Dressed in their Sunday best, riders and onlookers of all ages crowded around to claim a favorite horse, listen to the lively music, or just enjoy the breeze generated by the machine's revolution.

Over the course of the 20th century, carousel production declined in volume and sophistication. Machines were designed that could reproduce carving patterns faster than hand-craftsmen.

Restrictions on raw materials, initiated during World War I and augmented by the Depression, led to the replacement of wooden figures with aluminum ones. The Second World War brought further advances in manufacturing.

Though the carousel remains a popular ride, faster and more extreme attractions have since appeared. With electrical power, mass-produced fiberglass animals and almost negligible fares, the carousel has perhaps declined in the novelty and magic it once held for riders like Billy and Julie