Boardwalk nostalgia

Today, we’re celebrating a necessary staple of fairs, carnivals, and boardwalks: the merry-go-round. You may know it as a carousel, like the Golden Gallopers Carousel at the seaside in Brighton, England, seen in today’s photo. Possibly derived from the Spanish ‘carosella,’ meaning ‘little war,’ carousels have an extensive history that goes back centuries, with roots in medieval jousting competitions. As the wargame grew in popularity, commoners without horses started to participate, and carousels soon appeared at popular fairgrounds. The popularity of carousels led to many advancements over the years, including the up and down galloping menagerie of animals real and imagined, and the instantly recognizable music that became widespread after 1803.
© Graham Prentice/Alamy