Historic Menagerie Figures –
Carousel Hippocampus, Sea Horses, Sea Monsters and Sea Dragons
Shown left is the hippocampus from PTC #6, Kit Carson Carousel, Burlington, CO – Richard Gardner photo. Shown right is the Trimper’s Rides, Maryland, Herschell-Spillman Sea Dragon – Rick Ellis photo.
Hippocampus – Sea Horse
Historic, circa 1900-1905 “Golden Age” carousel Hippocampus or Sea Horse menagerie figures carved by Muller, Dentzel, and PTC/E. Joy Morris.
See Monster – Sea Dragon
Historic, ca. 1900- 1905 “Golden Age” carousel Sea Dragons and Sea Monsters menagerie figures carved by Looff, Herschell-Spillman and PTC/E. Joy Morris. PHOTO GALLERY
Historic American “Golden Age” carousel carvers did not delve too far into mythological or other sorts of figures except on the trappings of the horses. Among the very few exceptions were the carousel Hippocampus or Sea Horse, and the carousel Sea Monster or Sea Dragon.
The hippocampus is a mythical version of a sea horse, with a horse head and torso and a fish scaled lower body and a large fin replacing the legs. Daniel Muller, Dentzel, and PTC produced these figures in the very early 1900s.
The Sea Dragon or Sea Monster is just as is sounds. Very similar to the hippocampus, but with a dragon head and torso instead. Looff and Herschell-Spillma chose to go with the sea dragon or sea monster, instead of the sea horse.
PTC/E. Joy Morris produced both sea monsters and sea horses. Most all of these figures were carved in the very early 1900s.
Some fun links…
Wikipedia Hippocampus (Mythology)
Wikipedia Leviathan (a sea monster referenced in the Tanakh, or the Old Testament)
