• CAROUSEL 100th ANNIVERSARY LECTURE SERIES

    Our Carousel 100th Anniversary lecture series is produced in collaboration with Montgomery History. Each lecture will last from 30-40 minutes, with a Q&A session at the end. The lectures will be presented on Zoom and registration will be required. The recorded lectures will also be available on YouTube.

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    GEP civil rights protests photo
    Lecture #1: Carousel Civil Rights Story
    by Ilana Trachtman

    February 24, 2021

    Did you miss the live stream of the first lecture? Watch the recorded lecture today!

    Learn about the Civil Rights history of the Glen Echo Park carousel with Ilana Trachtman, Emmy-Award-winning producer of the upcoming documentary Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round, which tells the important story of the 1960 protests that resulted in the integration of the privately-owned Glen Echo Amusement Park in 1961.

     Watch Here
    Old photo of carousel
    Lecture #2: Glen Echo's Two Great Carousels: Coney Island versus Philadelphia Style
    Barbara Fahs Charles

    April 14, 2021 | 7:30pm

    Before Glen Echo’s wonderful W. H. Dentzel carousel was delivered from Philadelphia in 1921, the park featured a large carousel created in Coney Island by W. F. Mangels with horses and chariots by M. C. Illions. This presentation will consider why each of the carousels was purchased, compare the regional styles of the two manufacturers, introduce the men who carved and built the two carousels, and show how W. H. Dentzel recycled elements from the Glen Echo Mangels carousel into a “new” carousel in 1922.

     Watch Here
    Wurlitzer band organ
    Lecture #3: Glen Echo's Wurlitzer Band Organ - A 50-Year Perspective
    by Durward Center

    July 14, 2021 | 7:30pm

    The restorer and caretaker of the organ for the last 50 years will talk about the history of the organ at the Park, its modifications, restoration and maintenance.  A rear view of the organ’s mechanism will be described and shown in operation.

     Register Now!
    restoring a carousel animal
    Lecture #4: Painting Style of the Dentzel Carousel Company and Restoration Techniques
    by Rosa Patton

    August 11, 2021 | 7:30pm

    Rosa Patton has been restoring carousels for 43 years, including the 20-year restoration of Glen Echo's carousel. She will discuss the painting style differences between carousel manufacturers, the types of paints used, and the tools and brushes used for achieving the signature look of each company. She will also give a painting technique demonstration to show how the company's artists worked and how these techniques were used during the carousel's restoration.

     Register Now!