Either/Or? Both!…
What happens when the father of Existentialism meets the diva of self-devotion?
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As we marvel at the mash-up, we might recall that it was on this date in 1871 that the first U.S. patent for a carousel (#117,336)was issued to Willhelm Schneider of Davenport, Iowa. Carousels had been around for quite awhile: the earliest on record was at a fair held at Philippopolis, Turkey in May, 1620; the first on record in England was at the St. Bartholomew Fair in 1729. Schneider’s “improvement” (as the application had it) was described as a two-story “carrousel or rotary pavillion used in public parks or other places of amusement.” A staircase within the central supporting frame enabled access to the upper story. Radial partitions could provide separate “apartments” with a sofa, imitation horse, or other seats. And the structure could be turned by a person or other apparatus…
While Schneider had high hopes for his tunnel-of-love-meets- merry-go-round, the design wasn’t at all successful. Fair goers and amusement park attendees continued to ride the round that we recognize to this day.
