1920s Carousel
This historic carousel is at the heart of the 1920s Midway. The Foundation's carousel is replica of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) #40 carousel that Johnny Jones, an operator of the original Edmonton Exhibition, brought to Edmonton during the 1920s. Like PTC #40, our carousel is a three-row machine that holds 32 horses, 2 chariots, 12 rounding boards, and 12 upper and lower panels. The carousel is housed in a pavilion.
Each horse on the carousel is hand-carved and hand-painted in an historic fashion. In the beginning, some members of the 1920s Midway committee visited Montana in July of 2000, at their own expense, to meet with a skilled carousel carver, Mr. Bob Cherot. While there, they also learned how to paint carousel horses from Ms. Bette Largent - a renowned painter and restorationist.
We would like to express our most sincere thanks to those groups and individuals that have played an important role in ensuring the success of our carousel project - especially Alberta Job Corps. Bob Cherot, Chuck Kaparich, Bette Largent, the staff and students of St. Joseph's High School, Bert Wassing and photographer Jan Berle of Shutterworks.
The replication of the 1920s Carousel cost an estimated $.85 million.