This summer, Pasadena Museum of History invites the public to bask in the joyful ambiance of a quintessential childhood entertainment with a uniquely “touchable” exhibition, Flying Horses & Mythical Beasts: The Magical World of Carousel Animals.
From June 1 through August 28 visitors of all ages will be able to see — and touch — menagerie carvings from Europe, England, the United States (including contemporary master carvers from the San Gabriel Valley) and Mexico, of brilliantly painted and gilded horses, lions, elephants, giraffes, sea serpents and more. In addition, a special “photo opportunity” area will include several animals that children and adults will be welcome to climb and sit upon. In addition to fifty free-standing animals on display, additional carousel-related items and art will further enhance the exhibition.
Flying Horses & Mythical Beasts is the first exhibition devoted solely to items in the collection of local collector and conservator Lourinda Bray, who is guest curator for this exhibit. Bray’s Running Horse Studio in Irwindale houses her nearly-unimaginable menagerie, along with carousel art, miniatures, posters, postcards and more in 6,000 square feet of jam-packed merry-go-round memorabilia. Here she spends her days carefully restoring animals for other collectors and for operational carousels, as well as pieces in her own collection, which spans the history of carousels, from the mid-19th century to modern day, with many examples from the Golden Age of Carousels, 1861-1920.
A bit of historical perspective: 2016 marks the 145th anniversary of the modern carousel in the United States. National Carousel Day on July 25 marks the day William Schneider of Davenport, Iowa, was issued the first American patent for a carousel, in 1871.
Flying Horses & Mythical Beasts: The Magical World of Carousels is on view June 1 through August 28 from 12 Noon to 5:00 pm Wednesdays through Sundays at Pasadena Museum of History, 470 W. Walnut St., Pasadena. Admission is $7 for adults; $6 for students & seniors; free for Museum members and children under 12. Free parking. Please visit www.pasadenahistory.org for updated information on special programs related to the Carousels exhibition, or call (626) 577-1660.
