‘Glen Echo’s Two Great Carousels: Coney Island versus Philadelphia Style’ Will Be Featured in Online Presentation Available Starting Monday, Aug. 1

Before Glen Echo’s W.H. Dentzel carousel was delivered from Philadelphia in 1921, the park featured a large carousel created in Coney Island by W. F. Mangels, with horses and chariots by M. C. Illions. “Glen Echo’s Two Great Carousels: Coney Island versus Philadelphia Style,” a free online presentation of Montgomery History that will be available Aug. 1-8, will look at each of these carousels.

Barbara Fahs Charles, a consultant on interpretive planning and design for museums, will lead the presentation that addresses why each carousel was purchased, compare the regional styles of the two manufacturers and introduce the men who carved and built them.

The presentation also will show how W. H. Dentzel recycled elements from the Glen Echo Mangels carousel into a “new” carousel in 1922.

To access the presentation starting Monday, Aug. 1, go to https://www.montgomeryhistory.org/mhconnected/watch/