The Carousel Catalog is a spiritual successor to Carousel History (carouselhistory.com), a website created and operated by Daniel Horenberger and Roland "Rock" Hopkins. Carousel History remains a crucial resource for carousel history and research, hosting many scanned copies of The Carousel News & Trader and compilations of historic carousel photos and news. Dan passed away in 2016, leaving a huge void in online carousel cataloging. 

When I came onto the carousel scene in mid-2023, Dan's website was one of the first resources I found for carousel history. The photos he posted of the then-mysterious 'Mexican' Muller carousel led me down a research rabbit hole which I dedicated over a year to, culminating in my website Solving the Mexican Muller Mystery and my article in the National Carousel Association's Merry-Go-Roundup magazine. 

During my research, I discovered that Dan and Rock's work was left unfinished--many volumes of The Carousel News & Trader remained unavailable online. This presented a roadblock in my research, but luckily with the help of various carousel enthusiasts, restorers, painters, historians, and museums, I was able to obtain all the information I needed. It was that collaboration and willingness to share information and pass on the love and passion for carousel history that inspired me to work on something bigger.

The goal of the Carousel Catalog is not to replace Carousel History, but rather carry on its legacy and expand upon it. 

Contributions are welcome--be it scans of The Carousel News & Trader, auction catalogues, personal photos, anecdotes, history, or anything else carousel related. Please visit the contributions page if you are interested!

Thank you for visiting The Carousel Catalog!

--Elizabeth Salenius, Owner & Operator