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Dumbo Carousel Spins Under the Manhattan Bridge
Monday, May 19th, 2008

The New York Photo Festival in Dumbo was the place to be this weekend for anyone interested in contemporary photography. That’s why I was surprised to see a 1922 historic carved wood carousel completely rehabilitated to it’s original condition among the the photo galleries in the waterfront area of Brooklyn, under the Manhattan Bridge overpass.

Jane Walentas, who purchased the carousel at an auction in Ohio in 1984, has been working on the restoration ever since, even re-leafing the carved saddles and bridles with 24K gold. She is the wife of the developer who turned Dumbo’s warehouse district into one of the city’s fastest-developing neighborhoods. But she still doesn’t have a permanent place for the carousel. While the Walentas’ ultimate goal is to mount the carousel in the Brooklyn Bridge park, it has a temporary home where professional and amateur photographers can take a snapshot of the truly magnificent machine. Watch the carousel, which has been totally rewired with 1200 lights, spin:

Read more about the carousel’s status in Dumbo.

One Response to “Dumbo Carousel Spins Under the Manhattan Bridge”

  1. [...] Dumbo Carousel Spins Under the Manhattan Bridge, 19May08, Thirteen.org [...]

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