Merry-Go-Round Model

Unidentified (American), Merry-Go-Round Model, ca. 1890-1900, metal, muslin hide, on pine base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Edith Gregor Halpert, 1966.91
Copied Unidentified (American), Merry-Go-Round Model, ca. 1890-1900, metal, muslin hide, on pine base, 18 x 18 1⁄2 in. (45.7 x 47 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Edith Gregor Halpert, 1966.91
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Merry-Go-Round Model
Artist
Unidentified (American)
Date
ca. 1890-1900
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
18 x 18 1⁄2 in. (45.7 x 47 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Edith Gregor Halpert
Mediums
Mediums Description
metal, muslin hide, on pine base
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — cattle
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Animal — horse
  • Architecture — commercial — recreation
Object Number
1966.91
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.91

Artwork Description

The mechanical merry-go-round appeared in 1850, when a patent was issued for the system that made the horses go up and down. Merry-go-rounds were very popular from the late nineteenth century until the Great Depression, and at one time, New York’s Coney Island offered twenty-four steam-driven carousels. This toy shows a cow and a goat along with the more traditional horses.