Bernard “Barney” Illions – American’s Last Artist from the Golden Age of Carousels
By Bill Manns
Bernard “Barney” Illions passed away on May 9th (1988) in Costa Mesa, California. Barney was the youngest son of the grand-master of carousel artists, Marcus Charles Illions. Barney was born September 25, 1901, and his life spanned almost a century of change. He saw the carousel evolve from a single amusement attraction to a recognized and highly prized art form.
Growing up in Coney Island, New York, Barney, along with the rest of the Illions clan, enjoyed thoroughly the benefit of being at home in the heart of the amusement empire. He remembered riding for free on every amusement in the fabled beach resort and helping to operate many of the Coney Island’s Illions carousels during the slower summer months.
At age ten, he began working with his father and his brothers Rudy and Philip in the carving shop, sanding and cleaning up. His apprenticeship as an ornamental painter began in his early teens under the guidance of his uncle Jack. Within a few years, Barney was an accomplished and skilled artist capable of painting a complete carousel by himself.
Barney continued to work with his father until the shop failed in the late 1920s. He continued to paint and refurbish carousels periodically in the early years of the Depression. During those difficult years of the early 1930s, Barney wandered into Vaudeville as a magician, dancer, singer and even a juggler. It was during this period that he met his wife Bette at a theatrical club in New York. They were married in 1941. Barney later joined National Screen Studios where he produced title graphics for many of Hollywood’s major motion pictures, including “Man With a Golden Hand”, until his retirement in 1970.
Barney’s only involvement with the carousel since his father’s shop had closed, was that of operating the Illions machine at the Pomona Fairgrounds during his vacation from National Screen Studios. Barney loved to operate the carousel and took great pleasure in being able to load and unload the machine without ever bringing it to a complete and total halt. This way he could start up the machine quicker, squeezin more rides into the day, and more importantly, put less wear on the clutch and machinery.
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“At our first meeting, I wondered whether Barney would have the strength to contribute to the creation of “Painted Ponies”. As our conversations progressed, Barney’s spirits and enthusiasm 
noticeably improved as he dipped back into his memory of his days in his father’s Coney Island Carousel Shop. His strong, rich voice would pick up in volume as he talked of his father’s great talent and love of art. I was always impressed by the great love Barney had for the “Old Gent”, as he called him … it made me wonder what type of man [his father Marcus Illions] must have really been.”
– Bill Manns
