The Brass Ring

The Brass Ring Synopsis

The Brass Ring is the name of a carousel project in Albany, Oregon where a group of skilled volunteers come together with passion and excitement to build a traditional carousel for their community.

Albany's Brass Ring carousel studio is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to building a traditional Victorian carousel in Albany's downtown historical district.  All of the carvers, painters, and the engineers who are restoring the mechanism are all volunteers. There are about 250 total volunteers working on this project.

The carousel project began in 2002 and is estimated to take over 10 years to complete.  There will be a menagerie of animals, totaling more than 54 animals, all hand carved and hand painted in the traditional style of Dentzel and Muller.  The animals and carousel decorative pieces are being carved from basswood with hand tools.  The painting is done by the method of stippling. This slow and time-consuming technique results in the effect where not a single brush stroke will be seen on the animal.  Once the animal is painted it must sit for about 6 months to allow the paint to cure before the automotive clear coat is applied.

The sponsors select an animal and works with the graphic artist to design there animal.  Together they decide all the adornments and trappings that will go on the animal.  Every animal is unique and has a story to tell.  Between the design, the carving, and the painting it takes about a year and a half to two years to complete each animal.

The carousel mechanism is a 1909 Dentzel machine, possibly the last made by Gustave Dentzel.  The National Carousel Association and the William Dentzel family of Santa Barbara, California donated the mechanism to The Brass Ring in Albany, Oregon with the dream of seeing it restored to its glory.  The carousel mechanism was installed in New Jersey in 1909 and operated until 1953 when it was then stored in a barn.  Around 1988, it was moved to Santa Barbara, California to the Dentzel family property and then donated to the National Carousel Association.  When the family discovered Albany was busy carving animals for a new carousel in the Dentzel style, they contacted the NCA and the mechanism was donated to The Brass Ring.

The Brass Ring is a unique and inspiring project that will bring out the kid in everyone.