NEW YORK, N.Y. This fall, Sotheby’s will offer a collection of thirteen antique carousel animals from the Estate of Charlotte Dinger, one of the world’s leading collectors and foremost authorities on antique carousels and carousel art, in its sale of Important Americana on October 4th, 2007. Property from this offering, which is expected to bring $600/700,000, will go on exhibition beginning September 29th.

Nancy Druckman, Director of Sotheby’s American Folk Art department, said: “Charlotte Dinger was the source for information on carousel animals. She had a remarkable depth of knowledge and sense of generosity in sharing her research and understanding of this field of American Folk Art. She was arguably the first to recognize these animals not only as historical objects but also as works of art, and this offering reflects her keen eye and passion for the field.”

As a child Charlotte Dinger was captivated with the wooden horses on the carousel during a visit to Olympic Park in Maplewood, New Jersey. Her first acquisition was in 1972 during a visit to a Philadelphia antiques store, when she was reminded of this magical feeling. She soon pursued and located two dozen carousel horses stored in a Philadelphia warehouse, and over the next two decades, she passionately “rescued” and restored these works of art.

Highlighting the offering is a rare and important carved and painted pine “Teddy bear”, made by Charles I.D. Looff near the time when “Teddy” bears first came on the market, circa 1904 (pictured above, est. $70/75,000). Only four carousel “Teddy” bears are known today, and these very large figures are the only American made carousel animals with articulated heads and extremely detailed carving. Also designed by Charles I.D. Looff is a fine and rare carved and painted carousel ram, circa 1912 (est. $18/22,000). Another unique example is a fine and rare carved and painted pine sea monster, circa 1899 (est. $75/80,000). The figure was made by the E. Joy Morris, subsequently purchased by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1901, which continued to the tradition and retained machinery and carvers.

Other examples include a number of outside row stander horses, including an exquisite figure with distinct designs and flowers by Brooklyn company Stein & Goldstein, circa 1910, who created figures solely for their own carousels which they set up and operated (est. $65/70,000); a G.A. Dentzel Steam & Horsepower Carousel Mfg. Co., designed by Gustav Dentzel of Philadelphia, circa 1890 (est. $35/45,000); a fine and rare example also designed by Gustav Dentzel, circa 1905 (est. $35/40,000); and a fine and rare version designed by M.C. Illions at his own factory in Brooklyn, M.C. Illions & Sons, circa 1907, from Coney Island’s famed Feltman Carousel (est. $11/14,000).