a.k.a. V.J.

Old Man Stuff

A Museum You Can Ride On

My previous posts covering exhibits at Fenimore Farm & Country Village ranged from goofball Americana (The Cardiff Giant) to a high-minded attempt to convey the history of the region in a tangible, interactive way (The Otsego Herald). Occupying the intersection of those two concepts is another Fenimore Farm exhibit: The Empire State Carousel.

The carousel was conceived of by a retired teacher who was also adept at woodcarving. His idea was to turn an old antique carousel into a unique way to teach children about New York State’s history. After 19 years of work and fundraising, the end result was a fully functioning merry-go-round adorned with imagery of the Empire State’s history. We declined the invitation to ride on it, but we took plenty of photos of this magnificent piece of weirdness.

The animals on the carousel are species found in New York. It’s fitting that the beaver has a place of honor given the significance of the beaver-pelt trade in our colonial history. It also might help in convincing Buc-ee’s to open some stores along the Thruway corridor.
“I’ve got a mule and her name is Sal…”
I don’t know what this was all about, and I was afraid to ask.
Above the animals, there were portrait of significant historical figures who were either natives of the state or did something significant while living here. As an aside, this may have been the first reference to John Peter Zenger I’ve seen since the Communication Law class I took in grad school.)
There were a lot of subtle touches for careful observers. For example, this bear’s saddle is decorated with a map of the Finger Lakes.
The Carousel features plaques bearing the names of communities that contributed fundraising efforts to get it built. I didn’t see Fulton, but Oswego was represented.
Excelsior.

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Vance Marriner's avatar

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Vance Marriner

One response to “A Museum You Can Ride On”

  1. wardo68 Avatar
    wardo68

    There’s a carousel at the Beardsley Park Zoo, which I’ve visited exactly once, despite living about five miles away from it or less for chunks of my adulthood.

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About Me

Researcher. Marketer. Teacher. Father of adult children and dogs. 20th Century holdover. Central New York native. Long-suffering Buffalo Bills fan. History nerd. Traveler. Vintage advertising enthusiast. Hat wearer.

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