Reach For the Brass Ring
by Jenny Revitz Soper
Title
Reach For the Brass Ring
Artist
Jenny Revitz Soper
Medium
Photograph - Selective Color
Description
A brass ring is a small grabbable ring that a dispenser presents to a carousel rider during the course of a ride. Usually there are a large number of iron rings and one brass one, or just a few. It takes some dexterity to grab a ring from the dispenser as the carousel rotates. The iron rings can be tossed at a target as an amusement. Typically, getting the brass ring gets the rider some sort of prize when presented to the operator. The prize often is a free repeat ride. The phrase "to grab the brass ring" is derived from this device.
Early carousels of 19th century America were advertised as highly recommended by physicians as an aid in circulating the blood. Makes sense.
Ottoway Amusement Company's carousel photographed at the annual Neewollah Festival, Independence Kansas 2016.
"Then the carousel started, and I watched her go round and round...All the kids tried to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it is bad to say anything to them."
~J. D. Salinger, Catcher In The Rye
Featured on the homepage of the following FAA Artist Groups:
Images That Excite You 12/31/2016
Country Life 3 images per day 1/01/2017
Midwest America Photography 01/02/2017
What Interrobang 1/16/2017
Kansas - Showing Off our Great State 2/05/2017
Art for Ever with You 6/06/2018
Selective Color - 4/2019
The Artists Group - 4/2019
All Stars 1 a week - 5/2021
A Woman's Touch - 7/2021
Uploaded
December 30th, 2016
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