Times were tough in 1932, not least for White City, which was hit hard by the Depression and a series of fires. But were they so tough that, as the caption with this unpublished photo read, the amusement park let kids drag old carousel horses off to use for firewood? These lads look pretty well-dressed to be resorting to that. We’ll just hope this steed provided a few hours of fun before an exasperated mom put it out to pasture for good.
Percentage increase in sales of wood-burning appliances since 1992: 112.
Annual deaths attributed to wood smoke by environmental group Burning Issues: 30,000.
Record price paid for an antique merry-go-round horse: $149,000.
Rank of “Carousel” among the 20th Century’s best musicals, according to Time magazine: 1.
