Jane's Carousel in DUMBO

Jane's Carousel was created in 1922, the heyday of the American Carousel, by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (P.T.C.). Designated as P.T.C. No. 61, it was originally installed in Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio, then a prosperous steel-making city. The Carousel has been fully restored to it's original elegance.
In 1983, as the designated developer of Empire Fulton Ferry State Park, David Walentas had commissioned a Master Plan for the park that called for an historic carousel to be installed. Jane and David Walentas purchased the Carousel at auction on October 21, 1984. Their bid for the entire Carousel prevented it from being sold piecemeal.
When purchased, the Carousel was in poor condition. Jane Walentas began its restoration at her studio in Dumbo in 1984. Her initial tasks included making necessary carpentry repairs and hand-scraping away 62 years of "Park Paint" with an X-acto knife to reveal the original 1922 carvings, color palette, and designs. The discoveries were carefully recorded with photographs, color matches, and detailed drawings that guided the repainting of the Carousel. The three rows of 48 horses were rendered in exact, painstaking detail. The highly decorative carved trappings were newly painted and re-leafed. Missing embellishments such as faceted jewels, small beveled mirrors on the bridles, and delicate pinstriping were also restored.