Volunteer woodcarvers and painters are painstakingly restoring the 1924 Spillman Engineering Corp. carousel that is due to be installed at Canalside next year.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Volunteer painters Jan Bough, left, Barb Wheeler, center, and Christine Kasprzak, right, work on the carousel animals nearing completion in the paint room at the Buffalo Heritage Carousel workshop in North Tonawanda, a stone's throw from the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Woodcarver Jim Ronan uses a file to work on the fine detail on the face of the horse Eagle. The volunteers come from the Buffalo Snowbirds Decorative Painters, Genesee Country Decorative Painters and elsewhere.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Woodcarver Rose Hirsch works at restoring a "Spillman Junior" horse. About a dozen volunteers work at different times on the carousel: stripping, disassembling, repairing and painting the wooden animals.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
The ostrich, one of the more unique animals on the Buffalo Heritage Carousel is ready to begin the painting process.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Painter Barb Wheeler works on the tiger. "It's a privilege to work on these horses," Wheeler said. "Just to see them come alive. They were such a mess when we started."
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Nearly completed horses, from left, Spirit and Camelot, Ghost and Prince. The volunteers have been trained by Rosa Patton, a nationally acclaimed carousel restoration artist who comes to town every few months.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Detail of the namesake roses on the mane of the horse Rose.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Painter Linda Chaffee examines the horse Lancelot which is nearly completed.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
The original iron horseshoes will be reinstalled on the horses when they are finished.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Detail of the intricate saddle on the horse Spirit.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Painter Jan Bough works on fine detail on the horse Spirit.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Painter Christine Kasprzak of Cheektowaga works on the detail in the eye of the horse Lancelot. "I'd say 90 percent of us are over 70 years old and we travel more than 20 miles to get here and volunteer," she said.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Painter Christine Kasprzak stands amid a herd of horses in the painting room.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Detail of the eye of the tiger.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Detail of paint brushes at the Buffalo Heritage Carousel workshop.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Detail of the horse Ghost, which is almost finished except for the jewels which will soon be added.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Lancelot, a favorite horse of many of the painters, is nearly completed.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Painter Jan Bough works on fine detail on the horse Spirit.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Detail of the horse Jester.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Woodcarver Jim Ronan uses a file to work on the fine detail on the face of the lion.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Nails, screws and other hardware that were removed from the original wooden horses during the restoration process.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Work on the giraffe, lion and the two largest horses is expected to begin in early October.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Pieces of the chariot await restoration.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Horses that have been physically restored are ready for the painting process to begin.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Woodcarver Jim Ronan uses a file to work on the fine detail on the face of the horse Eagle.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Woodcarver Rose Hirsch does some fine sanding on a "Junior Spillman" horse that will be used on the Buffalo Heritage Carousel.
Horses, tiger for Canalside carousel get finishing touches
Horses that have been physically restored and are ready to begin the painting process. The group expects to be done on time, having met every deadline so far.
The 1924 attraction is being assembled at Canalside's Central Wharf and will open May 28.
The pandemic hasn't put a damper on fundraising for the carousel coming in May to Canalside.
