Jane's Carousel

When Bammie and Pa were in town, they took Lyla to the new carousel in Dumbo -- Jane's Carousel. Although Bammie and Pa know it better as Idora Carousel, because it is the carousel they rode as children in Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio. After being sold in 1984, the carousel underwent a 25-year restoration.



According to the plaque in the park, the restoration included:

hand-scraping away 62 years of "Park Paint" with an X-acto knife to reveal the original 1922 carvings, color palette, and designs. The discoveries were carefully recorded with photographs, color matches, and detailed drawings that guided the repainting of the Carousel. The horses were rendered in faithful detail. The highly decorative carved trappings were newly painted and re-leafed. Missing embellishments such as faceted jewels, small beveled mirrors on the bridles, and delicate pinstriping were restored. The Carousel's rounding boards, scenery panels and structural pieces were also repainted, stenciled, and re-leafed. Blackened varnish was removed from original paintings to reveal their true colors. Dozens of old beveled mirrors were reglazed. Mechanical systems were updated with new gears, motor and an electronic controller.

The result is a simply dazzling carousel encased in a glass pavilion that resembles a jewel box.














It sits in between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. There is no bad view from the carousel.





Lyla wasn't as interested in the details of the restoration; she just loved the horsies that went up and down :)










We (meaning me) couldn't resist getting ice cream at Jaques Torres before taking the East River Ferry home -- a five minute ferry ride that brought us back to Wall Street, just a few blocks from home.