merry-go-round memories

Thank you for the article on the carrousel at the Santa Monica Pier (Taste Trends: Carrousel Without Pier, March 24). Carrousels are a part of Americana that everyone can relate to, no matter what their racial or economic background. Almost everyone can remember the joy and happiness of riding a carrousel as a child, fantasizing that he or she was a knight on a charger, a cowboy chasing Indians, or any number of wonderful things.

There are several other carrousels in the Los Angeles area that shouldn’t be forgotten. Griffith Park has a beautiful carrousel, dating from about 1926, that has a combination of horses carved by the Charles I. D. Looff and Spillman companies. Other antique carrousels can be seen at Shoreline Village, Long Beach, as well as Magic Mountain, Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. There’s even a volunteer group dedicated to the preservation of the old wooden merry-go-rounds. It’s the National Carrousel Assn., and any reader interested in obtaining more information should send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Gail Hall, NCA Secretary, P.O. Box 307, Frankfort, Ind. 46041.

Darylle Goodfield

Los Angeles