An amazing book. There are gorgeous photos of classic carousels from San Fransisco. It was a joyful, nostalgic read.

Circles of Delight by Aaron Shepard is an absolutely beautiful book. It is a coffee table book with lovely photographs and very little text.

San Francisco is home to one carousel from each of the "most important historic American carousel makers." A section of the book is devoted to each carousel with wonderful pictures of the detail work. It is amazing to see both the similarities and the differences between the animals represented on these carousels. The craft work is stunning and the preservation of each has been remarkable.

I would highly recommend this to lovers of carousels as well as those who simply enjoy photographs of wonderful craftsmanship. I spent quite a bit of time comparing similar animals, such as standing horse, and marveling at how each maker created such a unique variation on a basic theme.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

Beautiful images capturing the magic of a classic form of entertainment!