The G.A. Dentzel Company was an American builder of carousels in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
7-528: Its founder, Gustav Dentzel , had immigrated to the United States in 1860, from Germany . Having carved carousels for his father before immigrating he opened a cabinet making shop on Germantown Ave. in Philadelphia. He soon tired of the cabinet making business and decided to try his hand at building a small portable carousel that he could travel with around the country. After finding that people had
14-448: A great enthusiasm for his carousel he decided to go into the carousel building business full-time in 1867, hiring other woodworkers who had also emigrated from Europe. His son William took over the business after Gustav's death in 1909, and continued making carousels until 1928, with employees such as master-carvers Salvatore "Cherni" Cernigliaro and Daniel Muller. After William's death, Muller went on to form his own carousel company, while
21-603: A multi-year downtown redevelopment project. ***PLEASE NOTE - the sale referenced above did not happen and the Denzel Carrousel is still operating at the Centreville Amusement Park in Toronto, Canada. Riverside Park (1962-Present) Lake Lansing Amusement Center (Pine Lake) (1941-1971) Cedar Point (1971-1994) Gustav Dentzel Gustav Dentzel was a German immigrant who built some of
28-428: Is credited for introducing the first steam-powered carousel and the use of menagerie animals, such as cats, lions, tigers, and deer, in addition to horses and chariots. Gustav married Alma in 1874. Together they had five children, Augusta, William H. I., Margaret, Helen, and Charles. Alma died in 1880 and Gustav then married Mary. They had a son, Edward P. Gustav died in 1909. His sons, William and Edward, took over
35-666: The Dentzel equipment and remaining stock were sold to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company . In mid-2017, an estimate indicated that there may be 150 of the Dentzel units in existence. At that time, a model from 1907, with 52 hand-carved animals, was sold by Centreville Amusement Park in Toronto, Ontario , to the city of Carmel , Indiana. The selling price was an estimated CAD $ 3 million, approximately US $ 2.25 million. The ride will open in 2018 or 2019 as part of
42-469: The earliest carousels in the United States. Gustav Dentzel was born in Kreuznach , Kingdom of Prussia , on August 3, 1846. As a child, Gustav traveled around various German-speaking areas from fair to fair with his father Michael and his family during the summer, operating a portable carousel ride. Gustav learned the art of woodworking from his father. He carved carousel animals and made wagons during
49-704: The off-season. Michael sent Gustav and his brothers to the United States in 1864, along with a carousel. This may have been the first carousel in the New World . Gustav opened a cabinet making shop and hired many German and Italian immigrants who had learned woodcarving in the "Old Country". He built a small carousel and toured the countryside. Gustav founded the Dentzel Carousel Company (also spelled Dentzel Carrousel Company, among other variations) in Germantown , Pennsylvania, in 1867. Dentzel
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