For some people, carousels are carnival rides for kids. For others, they are a object of nostalgia for their childhood, or a glimpse into the world of a hundred years ago. But for quite a few, they are works of art. That group includes those who are still designing and carving the creatures that inhabit a carousel. Sure, there are beautiful horses, which is a perfectly normal thing to ride, but there are ornate and artful carousels operating with octopuses, insects, robots, boats, exotic wild animals, and mythological creatures, like a sea-horse, not to be confused with a seahorse (although you can ride those, too). The carousel shown above is the steampunk Carrousel des Mondes Marins in Nantes, France. The most beautiful carousels are public artworks, or community projects, or even private labors of love. See nine of the most beautiful and fanciful carousels in existence at My One Beautiful Thing. -via Memo of the Air
(Image credit: Jordiferrer)