GUSTAVE AND WILLIAM DENZEL, CIRCA 1910

Gustav Dentzel is considered by most to be the pioneer American carousel craftsman. Born in Germany in 1846, he came to America in 1864 and settled in Philadelphia. His shop enjoyed great success and he hired several carvers to help meet the growing demands, including John Henry Muller. Around the turn of the century, Dentzel hired Salvatore Cernigliaro, an immigrant carver from Sicily, who introduced an assortment of whimsical menagerie animals to the American carousel. Gustav died in 1909, and the company continued to prosper under his son, William. Upon William's death in 1928, the Dentzel company was bought by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.

Dentzel's animals are characterized by realistic, delicately formed features and muscle structure, intelligent expressions and a simplicity of ornament; this giraffe exhibits all of these features and is a charming example of the work of the Dentzel shop. Two comparable examples of other Dentzel giraffes are illustrated in Charlotte Dinger, The Art of the Carousel (New Jersey, 1983), p. 64.