Orton, Sons and Spooner
Makers of fairground rides and equipment
Charles Spooner was a wood carver in the brewing industry of Burton upon Trent where he was making elaborate drays and handcarts.
1894 Started to work with the wheelwright and coach builder George Orton
They were responsible for some of the most sophisticated and sought-after wagons and shows at the turn of the 19th century.
Orton and Spooner also specialised on the building of the huge ornate shows precursors to the bioscope, which dominated the fairground landscape at the turn of the 19th century and were defined by their intricate carved fronts.
Orton and Spooner were also some of the most successful fair carvers of the time. Their galloping horses were reputed to be the best, with the company supplying many mounts to rival manufacturer Savages of King's Lynn. The carved horses featured meticulous anatomical detail and the company quickly moved to an impressive repertoire of carved animals including cockerels, swans, turkeys, pigs, donkeys, cows, goats, elephants, ostriches, bears, lions and dragons. A unique diversion included the carving of generals' heads from the Boer War, creating a surreal effect by grafting them on to animal body mounts.
1925 The 2 businesses were amalgamated
Orton and Spooner quickly established a reputation with the showmen, making rides, shows and accommodation wagons of superior quality and finish.
1930s they began manufacturing Ghost Trains. This ride was a cross between a show and a ride and emerged at a time when mechanical rides were developing at a rapid rate, in effect signalling the slow demise of shows as the driving force of the fairground.
Orton and Spooner introduced the Noah’s Ark, initially importing partly-built rides from Germany which they finished at their Works. Later they built them from scratch to create some of the finest and fastest machines in the British fairground, completing more than 70 machines.
Eventually Orton and Spooner were involved in producing Waltzer cars as many of the Arks underwent conversion.
1951 Orton and Spooner also worked closely with German showman Hoffmeister to develop and patent the Rotor and famously built the Rotor that formed a landmark for the 1951 Battersea Park Exhibition and Funfair for promoter Max Myers. Myers fought to introduce the Rotor to the United States and at least two machines were constructed by Orton and Spooner to be exported to America. In addition at least two further machines were used in the UK sea-side parks.
Orton and Spooner remained pioneering fairground manufacturers until 1954 after which they functioned as a light engineering company until their closure in 1977.
1978 George Orton, Sons and Spooner was in liquidation
See Also
Sources of Information
- National Fairs and Fairground Archive, Sheffield University