Ca. 1908-1915 M. D. Borrelli / Carmel-Looff-Illions Carousel
Fun Forest Amusement Park, Seattle, Washington
The heavily jeweled M. D. Borrelli carousel appeared at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair in. The carousel remained as the fairgrounds became Fun Forest Amusement Park. The Borrelli manufactured carousel was a mix of Carmel, Looff and Illions figures. The figures were sold at a record breaking auction in 1988. Read about the historic carousel auction in The Carousel News & Trader online – January 1989.
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The Historic Fun Forest Amusement Park Carousel, Seattle, WA
M. D. Borrelli Mfg./ Carmel-Looff-Illions Mix , Ca. 1908-1915
“A carousel with perhaps some of the most heavily jeweled Borrelli figures was installed at the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, Washington. When the fair closed, an amusement park, Fun Forest, was established at the site. The carousel had a sign indicating that it was manufactured by M. D. Borrelli.
Prior to Fun Forest, the mixed carousel was owned by Paddy Conklin, an important figure in the Canadian traveling carnival business who had placed the carousel on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. Prior to that, the sign indicates that the carousel had been located at Manasquan and Wildwood, New Jersey.
The Fun Forest carousel was a mix of Looff, Carmel and Illions figures. There was a Looff sea monster and a Looff lion. The lion was very similar to the one seen on the Dolle carousel at Park Island, Lake Orion, Michigan. The Illions “Lincoln horse” at Fun Forest, profiled in Marianne Steven’s article entitled The Lincoln Carousel Horse Quest in The Carousel News & Trader, December, 2009, was originally on the Seaside Heights, New Jersey, Illions carousel. There was also an Illions flying mane outside row horse. What can be seen of the scenery panels in the central housing area suggests modern changes, as is the metal platform. Both European and American style spiraling is seen on the brass poles.”
