Please Touch Museum

Woodside Park Dentzel Carousel

1908

Dentzel Carousel Company

Please Touch Museum

The carousel at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia was a project of William Dentzel’s.  It is a 52-foot structure with three rows of animals abreast of each other.  There are 52 hand carved animals and two chariots.  They are carved in the "Philadelphia Style" of carousel sculpture, meaning the animals are all life like detail and colors.  The main carver of this carousel, Salvatore Cernigliaro made it unique and special from others by adding a "flirting rabbit" to the middle ring.  The rabbit raises one paw as if engaging in conversation with the people who walk by.  This rabbit is one three known in the world.  

"Flirting Rabbit", saying Hello to you?

This object is also important because many chariots like it have since been destroyed.  This ride was also almost destroyed after a series of moves and park closures in Philadelphia and New York.  It was later absorbed into the collection of the Smithsonian National History museum in Washington D.C. where it was mostly in storage, with a few animals individually on display in the museum.  Eventually it was transferred again to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. 

In 1960 the horses, rabbits, goats and cats of the carousel were sandblasted and repainted.  A conservation project that took two years was begun on the carousel to return the animals, mirrors, clown heads and cherubs to their original colors.  During this effort, conservators realized that some of the animals were not original to the ride, having been switched out and replaced with other animals.  Some do still date back to before 1924. 

The carousel is displayed in a glass pavilion on the east side of the Please Touch Museum, and is still in use today.  It is part of an entire carousel exhibit including interpretive panels about the history and process of creating the carousel, and the conservation of the iconic ride.  Some children may not appreciate the carousel for its historic and artistic value, this being overshadowed by fear created by the realism and size of the animals.  

  Please Touch effectively presents the historical, pop culture value of the carousel, providing anyone with an interest in pop culture history the opportunity to engage with an object from the early 20th century.  Also, artistically the carousel is important because of the skill and detail evident in the many animals and chariots.  It is an art form that is overlooked, however people interested in sculpture would appreciate the talent of Salvatore Cernigliaro.  

As an interactive exhibit within the museum, children are able to ride it while listening to traditional carousel music and looking out on Fairmont Park through the glass pavilion.  This enables the carousel to be enjoyed in a similar way to its original location in Woodside Park.