Middle Row Jumping Horse (Carousel Figure)
c. 1924
Designed and carved by Daniel Müller American, born Germany, 1872–1951 Possibly painted by Angelo Calsamilia American, born Italy, 1870–1937 Gustav A. Dentzel Carousel Company American, 1867–1928 Germantown, Pennsylvania
Germantown
This vibrant jumping horse revolved on a carousel in Rock Springs Park, West Virginia, from around 1924 until the ride was dismantled in 1970. Daniel Müller, a German immigrant who grew up in the carousel industry, designed and carved the figure. Müller was known for his realistic style, visible here in the musculature of the horse’s legs mid-jump and the delicate flare of its nostrils.
Conservation analysis revealed that the horse was painted twice, the later visible layer possibly by artist and former Dentzel Company employee Angelo Calsamilia, who traveled the country to repaint carousel figures in active use.
Basswood, paint, glass, and metal