Carousel Support and Information: National Carousel Association

The NCA Proudly Presents:
Europa Park Carousel
Rust, Germany
Made by Bayol, 1909
Presentation courtesy of Brian Steptoe

Demeyer salon carousel

This ride was built by Bayol at Angers in France in 1909 and was the last one that they made. The original owners are not known and the first name that appears on the rounding boards is Demeyer and Bodelle (Flore Bodelle was Gustave Demeyer’s wife). The ride was travelled by the Demeyers, mainly by Gustave’s two sons, from 1927 until 1937, after which it was stored by the family for nearly 40 years. It was sold to the owners of the Bakker-Denies Flevehof Park in the Netherlands in 1975. From there it went to the Swiss collector Retonio Brietenmoser. It was acquired by the Ecomusée d’Alsace, which is near Mulhouse, in 1990.

It is said that the ride and salon took nine people to move and build up. Most journeys were by rail, with steam traction engine haulage between the rail station and fair location. The salon room is 51 foot wide, 62 foot deep 24 foot high at its centre and with 16 foot high walls. The front facade is about 76 feet long. It was modified some date from 1930 to 1936 with large starburst see-through windows being added. The actual carousel is 36 feet in diameter. There are twelve horses and twelve pigs on the ride, all carved by Bayol. Eight of the original set of animals were removed in about 1930 and replaced by two gondolas and two spinning tubs. The gondolas were carved by the Belgian carver Henri De Vos, who moved to work at Angers for Bayol's successor Coquereau & Marechal. The rounding boards carry paintings by P.Leleu which date from 1927, presumably added to the ride when the Demeyers first bought it.

The top section of the carousel turns slowly clockwise as the main carousel platform turns anti-clockwise, adding to the sensation of movement. There is also a richly decorated fixed ceiling over the top of the moving carousel ceiling. Movement of the animals and gondolas is through gearing under the platform.
Demeyer carousel building
Demeyer riders
Demeyer notices
Demeyer ceiling
Demeyer name on rounding board
Demeyer facade 3
Demeyer facade
Demeyer facade 4
Demeyer carousel statue
Demeyer facade and paybox
Demeyer salon walls
Demeyer door detail
Demeyer salon wall detail
Demeyer pigs
Demeyer pigs front view
Demeyer pigs and horses
Demeyer riders and ride operator
Demeyer horse riders
Demeyer horse head
Demeyer horse
Demeyer Devos horse label
Demeyer gondola
Demeyer gondola back
Demeyer spinning tub

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Carousel Support and Information: National Carousel Association

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