Attributed to Arthur Ernest Anderson (d. 1936) of Bristol: A set of twelve carved and polychrome wood carousel horses
Probably early 20th century
The horses with elaborate cartouche and foliate decorated scrolling saddles, and curling manes, their open mouths with integral horse bits, each on later gilt metal spiral twist supports with ball finials on swept stiff leaf scrolling rectangular gilt wood bases, repainted and with restorations and later additions, each approximately 110cm wide, 29cm deep, 125cm high (43in wide, 11in deep, 49in high) (the bases, 35cm wide) (12)
Footnotes:
Williams & Anderson were a well established Bristol maritime wood carvers originally based at premises in Commercial Row in Hotwells near the harbour of the city. The firm began trading in the mid-19th century with John Anderson and his uncles the Williams brothers producing many of the figure heads for the sailing ships that filled Bristol's docks during the 1840's and 50's. The firm was later registered with the names J. R. Anderson between 1889 and 1900 and then by 1919 Arthur Ernest Anderson. However by 1919 the demand for carved ship figureheads had completely died out and the company had already turned to producing carved fairground carousel figures which they subsequently became associated with in the later years of trading. Interestingly, there is a photograph of the young Duke of York, later George VI, riding one of the Blists Hill Gallopers in 1924.

Arthur Anderson is known to have produced many dozens of animals for the fairground rides of British fairs in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods through to the 1920's. Sadly the business, which by this time was situated at Rownham Place at the junction of Hotwells Road and the Cumberland Basin, faltered in the difficult days of depression in the early 1930's and finally closed its doors in 1936 when Anderson's estate was sold by auction at William Cowlin and Son, Princess Victorian Street, Clifton.

An article cited in the Nation Fairground Archive further notes: 'Their (Anderson's) carved Galloper mounts were known for the burgeoning scrollwork under the animal's belly, complete with Italianate grotesque grins upon its flanks and a flying ribbon frozen onto the neck, lettered with name of a famous horse or friend. Later work transmogrified even further, with animal heads carved into the body work creating a dream-like, surreal effect similar to the uncomfortable prose and jarring effects written by Lautreamont who twists the rules of nature to create fanciful cross-breeds and representations' (Cameron, 2009).
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