Charles Carmel - Horse Carver
Born in Russia in 1865, Charles Carmel and his young bride immigrated to the U.S. in 1883 and lived in Brooklyn for most of their lives. Charles was a perfectionist in his work and a disciplinarian with his family. Their home was located close to Prospect Park and its stable of riding horses, which served as a source of inspiration for Charles' carousel horse carving work. It is generally accepted that Charles Carmel carved carousel horses from 1905 to 1920, and sold his work to all of the major carousel manufacturers of the time including Dolle, Borelli, Murphy, and Mangels.
In 1911 Charles invested most of his money in a newly constructed carousel that he intended to operate on Coney Island. The day before the park was to open, a fire totally destroyed the amusement park along with the uninsured carousel. This was a devastating financial blow to the Carmel family. Later his health deteriorated due to diabetes and arthritis until Charles closed his shop and carved a few hours a day at home, filling orders. Charles died in 1933 of cancer, but his legacy lives on with the exquisite carousel animals that he produced throughout his life.
Turn of the Century
Our carousel was originally built and delivered to the Silver Beach Amusement Park in St. Joseph, Michigan in 1910. It was built by the Fred Dolle Company of North Bergen, New Jersey, with horses carved by Charles Carmel. It has 3 rows of horses and 3 chariots on the deck. The carousel operated for 63 years at Silver Beach until it was sold to Marianne Stevens of Roswell, New Mexico - where it resided until we discovered it!
The carousel was originally ordered with no 'Jumpers' on board, so in the 1920's the outside row of 16 horses was sent back to the factory and 16 Carmel jumpers were sent to replace them. The original 'Standers' were returned with the new horses and were stored away until 1948 when they were all piled up and burned - such a waste! Jewels were added to the horses in 1924 by M.D. Borelli, another carousel manufacturer.
Restoration
Restoration efforts are now ongoing to return these majestic figures to better than new condition. The carousel still has its original brass ring arm, which is being restored along with the rest of this magnificent machine. The original band organ was sold to a dealer in Virginia and has since been lost. Although valuable as a historic artifact, these old band organs are difficult to maintain and keep in proper operation.
Since the carousel was sold to Marianne Stevens, it has been in storage in Roswell. More recently the horses have been stripped, sanded and primed for new paint in Marianne's shop. The Three Rivers Carousel Foundation of the Tri-Cities has currently commissioned Sue Wilson and Bette Largent, two accomplished carousel horse painters, to finish each figure, preparatory to our grand celebration of our carousel's rebirth.
Enhancements
The final home of our Three Rivers Carousel is in Columbia Park close to our community's Playground of Dreams. A completely enclosed carousel building will be constructed at this location and the carousel will be reconstructed inside. A brand new deck, support structure, motorworks, inner workings, and sound system will be also be constructed and the finished carousel will again provide enjoyment for many years to come.
In addition to the carousel, the new Three Rivers Carousel will have meeting and convention rooms available for community use. A unique museum is also planned for the facility which will chronicle the history of carousels all over our land. Due to the easy access to Columbia Park and the Three Rivers Carousel, we are expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors to come and enjoy this wonderful facility.
 | Three Rivers Carousel Foundation Tri-Cities, WA 99337 Information Contact |
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