Restoration artist Rosa Ragan spent
20 years, from 1983 to 2003, restoring the Dentzel menagerie
carousel in Glen Echo, USA. The full story of her work is now
captured in this book by Deborah Lange, with over 500 beautiful
full-colour photographs showing the methods Rosa used on the
animals, chariots, drum panels, ceiling panels, rounding boards, and
band organ. Her methods are carefully explained, with detailed
descriptions of how she finds original colours, removes park paint,
makes repairs, cleans the animals, traces designs, protects the
original paint, applies leaf, paints the animals, applies pin
striping and designs, and applies a finish coat. The inpainting
methods she uses on the drum panels and ceiling panels are also
fully described, as are the bronze powder methods she uses on the
Wurlitzer band organ.
Also included is a chapter on
repair techniques, which describes filling voids, tightening seams,
and shaping and attaching new pieces, and a chapter on painting
techniques, which covers surface preparation, leafing, glazing,
bronzing, blending, creating dapples, pin striping, varnishing, and
other topics. A complete materials list and photographic catalogue
of all finished animals and chariots makes this book an excellent
aid for anyone considering a restoration. This book, however, is
more than a restorer's guide. It is written for the general public
to explain how a much-loved but abused ride was restored to become
once again the magnificent functional art it was when it arrived at
the park in 1921. This book is an excellent gift for anyone who
loves carousels.
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