Every Question We've Been Handed
Short answers first. Each one points to the object page where you can look closer.
Both spellings are correct. "Carrousel" follows the French and survives in many historic names. In Britain the same ride is often a "galloper" or "roundabout". Older American names include "flying horses" and "merry-go-round".
It became the American convention. Riders mount from the left, and the right side of each figure faces the crowd. British gallopers turn clockwise, so their left side faces out. See the carved horse.
Mostly basswood, sometimes poplar. European makers often used lime. The body is a hollow box of glued planks. The head and legs are separate blocks joined on.
Philadelphia figures are realistic and calm. Coney Island figures are flamboyant, with glass jewels and gold or silver leaf. Country Fair figures are simpler and smaller, built for portable rides. Styles overlap, so treat this as a starting point.
No. It reads holes in a paper roll or a folded card book. Each hole opens a valve, and air sounds a pipe, drum or bell. See the band organ.
A dispenser arm beside the ride feeds rings to riders on the outer row. Most rings are iron. The brass one earns a free ride. The Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs still uses one.
In the United States the number is commonly estimated at about 150 operating machines, from several thousand built. Counts vary with how a "complete" machine is defined.
Well-known examples include the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs, the Watch Hill Flying Horse Carousel in Rhode Island, the Crescent Park Looff Carousel in Riverside, Rhode Island, and Jane's Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Opening seasons vary, so check with the operator before you travel.
Value depends on the maker, the row, the condition and how much original paint and wood remain. Reproductions are common. We do not appraise objects. Ask a qualified appraiser who handles carousel art.