Gustav Dentzel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a cabinet maker by trade and a young German immigrant to the United States. In 1860, he established the Dentzel Factory, manufacturing two or three carousels per year and supplied parks throughout the East and South. All of the animals were hand-carved out of poplar or basswood. The carousels often had original oil paintings as well. The arrival of the Great Depression spelled the end to the factory in 1929.

This particular Dentzel carousel is on display at the State Fair of Texas.