History of PTC-53* Built by Philadelphia Toboggan Co. in 1920, with roughly 58 animals riding four abreast* Operated from 1920 to 1950 in Rittersville, Pa.* Damaged by fire in 1950 on Christmas Day* Operated by the Super Test Oil Co. in Tampa, Fla.* Purchased in 1969 for $3,500 by Charlie Walker, who found it in a concrete bunker on Tybee Island, Ga.* Walker died in 2007, leaving the PTC-53 to his sister, Anita Hoffman* Restoration continues in 2010, with the goal of installing PTC-53 in Piedmont Park, AtlantaSource: Horsin’ Around, Hoffman familyOther names for Carousels* Roundabout* Merry-go-round* Galloper* Flying horsesSource: Google
Bud Ellis, mastermind behind the hand-carved carousels at Coolidge Park and the Chattanooga Zoo, has taken on a new project: the restoration of a termite-eaten and fire-ravaged carousel found decades ago in a bunker on Tybee Island, Ga.
At Horsin’ Around, Ellis’ studio in Soddy-Daisy, a lovingly restored giraffe stands serenely next to a ferocious lion that glowers at visitors, the lion’s flowing mane frozen for eternity beneath coat after coat of polyurethane.
Ellis acquired these and other animals from the late Charlie Walker, a legend in the carousel industry who labored over this particular merry-go-round for 30 years until his death in 2007, according to Walker’s sister, Anita Hoffman.
“This was the biggest one he had,” Hoffman said. “Charles picked it up off a scrap heap.”
This project will mark somewhat of a turnabout for Ellis: the Coolidge Park merry-go-round came to Chattanooga from Grant Park in Atlanta, and his current project is slated for installation in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, Hoffman said, solidifying his role as Dixie’s merry miracle worker.
To fix the aging wooden horses, Ellis primarily employs a traditional mallet and chisel. But once in a while he brings out the chainsaw to cut down on the 300 hours it takes to finish a single animal from the Philadelphia Toboggan Co.’s 53rd carousel, or PTC-53 as it’s called.
PTC-53 has a mysterious past, of which only bits and pieces are known, but that’s not unusual in this industry. In 1958 there were about 7,000 wooden carousels in the U.S., but that number shrank to 150 by 1985, Ellis said. Urban development pushed out traditional amusement parks, and collectors bought up the highly prized carved wooden animals as they were replaced by fiberglass and metal figurines.
“It’s so unusual to find anybody who’s working on these things; there’s just nothing like this out there anymore,” Ellis said, although he added that interest recently has begun to pick up.
The traditional wooden carousels had their heyday in the early 20th century, Ellis said, at a time when immigrant furniture-makers churned out large numbers of innovative designs until 1929, when the economy crashed.
Now, original or restored figures can fetch $5,000 to $25,000 at an auction, he said.
Some of Ellis’ students, many of whom participated in both the 12-year Coolidge Park carousel restoration and the four-year Zoo project, also are working on a side project to build a brand-new carousel for Kingsport, Tenn.
“They’ll eventually get 30 to 35 animals,” David Sheppard said as he took a break from carving.
What keeps him and fellow student Don Williams coming back isn’t the money they make, however.
“You cannot come out here and knock out these horses in a timeframe where you can make money,” Sheppard said. “It’s a very informal situation, there’s no stress, and everyone’s like an extended family.”
Williams, back to work after taking a year off, agreed.
“Anything you don’t like, you just chainsaw it off and start again,” Williams said, who is making his own lion.
They don’t really have a timeline for completion of either project – that would take the fun out of the job, they say.
Ellis said the real goal is to have fun, learn something, and maybe complete an “extraordinary treasure” along the way.