Carousel Restoration - d'ART

d’ART - WOSU’s 2-time Emmy award winning series explored the arts in Columbus, Ohio from 1988-1993.

In 1986, Art Ritchie and Dan Jones recognized a growing need to help restore and preserve one of America’s valuable treasures which was a tribute to craftsmanship and mass production: the art of making wooden carousels. Carousels became a symbol of prosperity for many parks and communities during the early 1900’s and many still remain today in various states of disrepair. With a re-surging interest in providing America with a piece of the past, Art and Dan formed Carousel Works.

Carousel Works was formed with one goal - to build new wooden carousels. To accomplish this, restoration of existing antique carousels was needed to provide a base for establishing a good relationship with the carousel community while learning engineering theories which the original carousel manufactures had perfected. With expertise in carving, woodworking, pattern making, casting, engineering, machine shop techniques, artistic painting and management under one roof, we have developed into the type of manufacturing facility that hasn’t existed for over 50 years.

(1989)