Carriages

A carriage is a two- or four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for passengers. In Europe they were a common mode of transport for the wealthy during the Roman Empire, and then again from around 1600 until they were replaced by the motor car around 1900. They were generally owned by the rich, but second-hand private carriages became common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping or, on those made in recent centuries, steel springs. There are numerous names for different types. Two-wheeled carriages are usually owner-driven.

Coaches are a special category within carriages. They are carriages with four corner posts and a fixed roof. Two-wheeled war chariots and transport vehicles such as four-wheeled wagons and two-wheeled carts were forerunners of carriages.

In the 21st century, horse-drawn carriages are occasionally used for public parades by royalty and for traditional formal ceremonies. Simplified modern versions are made for tourist transport in warm countries and for those cities where tourists expect open horse-drawn carriages to be provided. Simple metal sporting versions are still made for the sport known as competitive driving.

Overview

The word ''carriage'' (abbreviated ''carr'' or ''cge'') is from Old Northern French , to carry in a vehicle.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 1933: Car, Carriage The word ''car'', then meaning a kind of two-wheeled cart for goods, also came from Old Northern French about the beginning of the 14th century (probably derived from the Late Latin , a car); it is also used for railway carriages and in the US around the end of the 19th century, early cars (automobiles) were briefly called '' horseless carriages''.

History

Early history

Some horse carts found in Celtic graves show hints that their platforms were suspended elastically. Four-wheeled wagons were used in Bronze Age Europe, and their form known from excavations suggests that the basic construction techniques of wheel and undercarriage (that survived until the age of the motor car) were established then.

First prototyped in the 3rd millennium BC, a '' bullock cart'' is a large two-wheeled cart pulled by oxen or buffalo. It includes a sturdy wooden pole between the oxen, a yoke connecting a pair of oxen, a wooden platform for passengers or cargo, and large steel rimmed wooden wheels.

Two-wheeled carriage models have been discovered from the Indus valley civilization including twin horse drawn covered carriages resembling ekka from various sites such as Harappa, Mohenjo Daro and Chanhu Daro. The earliest recorded sort of carriage was the chariot, reaching Mesopotamia as early as 1900 BC. Used typically for warfare by Egyptians, the Near Easterners and Europeans, it was essentially a two-wheeled light basin carrying one or two standing passengers, drawn by one to two horses. The chariot was revolutionary and effective because it delivered fresh warriors to crucial areas of battle with swiftness.

Roman carriage

First century BC Romans used sprung wagons for overland journeys. It is likely that Roman carriages employed some form of suspension on chains or leather straps, as indicated by carriage parts found in excavations. In 2021 archaeologists discovered the remains of a ceremonial four wheel carriage, a pilentum, near the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. It is thought the pilentum may have been used in ceremonies such as weddings. The find has been described as being "in an excellent state of preservation".

Ancient Chinese carriage

Though the exact date of when the Chinese started to use carriages is largely unknown, early oracle bone inscriptions discovered in Henan province show that the carriage had already developed into many different forms.
The earliest archaeological evidence of chariots in China, a chariot burial site discovered in 1933 at Hougang, Anyang in Henan province, dates to the rule of King Wu Ding of the late Shang dynasty (). Oracle bone inscriptions suggest that the western enemies of the Shang used limited numbers of chariots in battle, but the Shang themselves used them only as mobile command-vehicles and in royal hunts.

During the Shang dynasty, members of the royal family were buried with a complete household and servants, including a chariot, horses, and a charioteer. A Shang chariot was often drawn by two horses, but four-horse variants are occasionally found in burials.

Jacques Gernet claims that the Zhou dynasty, which conquered the Shang ca. 1046 BCE, made more use of the chariot than did the Shang and "invented a new kind of harness with four horses abreast". The crew consisted of an archer, a driver, and sometimes a third warrior who was armed with a spear or dagger-axe. From the 8th to 5th centuries BCE the Chinese use of chariots reached its peak. Although chariots appeared in greater numbers, infantry often defeated charioteers in battle.

Massed-chariot warfare became all but obsolete after the Warring-States Period (476–221 BCE). The main reasons were increased use of the crossbow, use of long halberds up to long and pikes up to long, and the adoption of standard cavalry units, and the adaptation of mounted archery from nomadic cavalry, which were more effective. Chariots would continue to serve as command posts for officers during the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE) and the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), while armored chariots were also used during the Han dynasty against the Xiongnu Confederation in the Han–Xiongnu War (133 BC to 89 CE), specifically at the Battle of Mobei (119 BCE).

Before the Han dynasty, the power of Chinese states and dynasties was often measured by the number of chariots they were known to have. A country of a thousand chariots ranked as a medium country, and a country of ten thousand chariots ranked as a huge and powerful country.

Medieval carriage

The medieval carriage was typically a four-wheeled wagon type, with a rounded top ("tilt") similar in appearance to the Conestoga Wagon familiar from the United States. Sharing the traditional form of wheels and undercarriage known since the Bronze Age, it very likely also employed the pivoting fore-axle in continuity from the ancient world. Suspension (on chains) is recorded in visual images and written accounts from the 14th century ("chars branlant" or rocking carriages), and was in widespread use by the 15th century. Carriages were largely used by royalty, aristocrats (and especially by women), and could be elaborately decorated and gilded. These carriages were usually on four wheels and were drawn by two to four horses depending on their size and status. Wood and iron were the primary materials needed to build a carriage and carriages that were used by non-royalty were covered by plain leather.

Another form of carriage was the pageant wagon of the 14th century. Historians debate the structure and size of pageant wagons; however, they are generally miniature house-like structures that rest on four to six wheels depending on the size of the wagon. The pageant wagon is significant because up until the 14th century most carriages were on two or three wheels; the chariot, rocking carriage, and baby carriage are two examples of carriages which pre-date the pageant wagon. Historians also debate whether or not pageant wagons were built with pivotal axle systems, which allowed the wheels to turn. Whether it was a four- or six-wheel pageant wagon, most historians maintain that pivotal axle systems were implemented on pageant wagons because many roads were often winding with some sharp turns. Six wheel pageant wagons also represent another innovation in carriages; they were one of the first carriages to use multiple pivotal axles. Pivotal axles were used on the front set of wheels and the middle set of wheels. This allowed the horse to move freely and steer the carriage in accordance with the road or path.

Coach

One of the great innovations in carriage history was the invention of the suspended carriage or the ''chariot branlant'' (though whether this was a Roman or medieval innovation remains uncertain). The "chariot branlant" of medieval illustrations was suspended by chains rather than leather straps as had been believed. Suspension, whether on chains or leather, might provide a smoother ride since the carriage body no longer rested on the axles, but could not prevent swinging (branlant) in all directions. It is clear from illustrations (and surviving examples) that the medieval suspended carriage with a round tilt was a widespread European type, referred to by any number of names (car, currus, char, chariot).

In 14th century England carriages, like the one illustrated in the Luttrell Psalter, would still have been a quite rare means of aristocratic transport, and they would have been very costly until the end of the century. They would have had four six-spoke six-foot high wheels that were linked by greased axles under the body of the coach, and did not necessarily have any suspension. The chassis was made from oak beam and the barrel shaped roof was covered in brightly painted leather or cloth. The interior would include seats, beds, cushions, tapestries and even rugs. They would be pulled by four to five horses.

Under King Mathias Corvinus (1458–90), who enjoyed fast travel, the Hungarians developed fast road transport, and the town of Kocs between Budapest and Vienna became an important post-town, and gave its name to the new vehicle type. The earliest illustrations of the Hungarian "Kochi-wagon" do not indicate any suspension, a body with high sides of lightweight wickerwork, and typically drawn by three horses in harness. Later models were considerably lighter and famous for a single horse being able to draw many passengers.

The Hungarian coach spread across Europe, initially rather slowly, in part due to Ippolito d'Este of Ferrara (1479–1520), nephew of Mathias' queen Beatrix of Aragon, who as a very junior Archbishopric of Esztergom developed a taste for Hungarian riding and took his carriage and driver back to Italy. Then rather suddenly, in around 1550, the "coach" made its appearance throughout the major cities of Europe, and the new word entered the vocabulary of all their languages. However, the new "coach" seems to have been a fashionable concept (fast road travel for men) as much as any particular type of vehicle, and there is no obvious technological change that accompanied the innovation, either in the use of suspension (which came earlier), or the adoption of springs (which came later). As its use spread throughout Europe in the late 16th century, the coach's body structure was ultimately changed, from a round-topped tilt to the "four-poster" carriages that became standard everywhere by c.1600.

Later development of the coach

The coach had doors in the side, with an iron step protected by leather that became the "boot" in which servants might ride. The driver sat on a seat at the front, and the most important occupant sat in the back facing forwards. The earliest coaches can be seen at Veste Coburg, Lisbon, and the Moscow Kremlin, and they become a commonplace in European art. It was not until the 17th century that further innovations with steel springs and glazing took place, and only in the 18th century, with better road surfaces, was there a major innovation with the introduction of the steel C-spring.

Many innovations were proposed, and some patented, for new types of suspension or other features. It was only from the 18th century that changes to steering systems were suggested, including the use of the 'fifth wheel' substituted for the pivoting fore-axle, and on which the carriage turned. Another proposal came from Erasmus Darwin, a young English doctor who was driving a carriage about 10,000 miles a year to visit patients all over England. Darwin found two essential problems or shortcomings of the commonly used light carriage or Hungarian carriage. First, the front wheels were turned by a pivoting front axle, which had been used for years, but these wheels were often quite small and hence the rider, carriage and horse felt the brunt of every bump on the road. Secondly, he recognized the danger of overturning.

A pivoting front axle changes a carriage's base from a rectangle to a triangle because the wheel on the inside of the turn is able to turn more sharply than the outside front wheel. Darwin suggested a fix for these insufficiencies by proposing a principle in which the two front wheels turn (independently of the front axle) about a centre that lies on the extended line of the back axle. This idea was later patented in 1818 as Ackermann steering. Darwin argued that carriages would then be easier to pull and less likely to overturn.

Carriage use in North America came with the establishment of European settlers. Early colonial horse tracks quickly grew into roads especially as the colonists extended their territories southwest. Colonists began using carts as these roads and trading increased between the north and south. Eventually, carriages or coaches were sought to transport goods as well as people. As in Europe, chariots, coaches and carriages were a mark of status. The tobacco planters of the South were some of the first Americans to use the carriage as a form of human transportation. As the tobacco farming industry grew in the southern colonies so did the frequency of carriages, coaches and wagons. Upon the turn of the 18th century, wheeled vehicle use in the colonies was at an all-time high. Carriages, coaches and wagons were being taxed based on the number of wheels they had. These taxes were implemented in the South primarily as the South had superior numbers of horses and wheeled vehicles when compared to the North. Europe, however, still used carriage transportation far more often and on a much larger scale than anywhere else in the world.

Demise

Carriages and coaches began to disappear as use of steam propulsion began to generate more and more interest and research. Steam power quickly won the battle against animal power as is evident by a newspaper article written in England in 1895 entitled "Horseflesh vs. Steam". The article highlights the death of the carriage as the main means of transportation.

Today

Today, carriages are still used for day-to-day transport in the United States by some minority groups such as the Amish. They are also still used in tourism as vehicles for sightseeing in cities such as Bruges, Vienna, New Orleans, and Little Rock, Arkansas.

The most complete working collection of carriages can be seen at the Royal Mews in London where a large selection of vehicles is in regular use. These are supported by a staff of liveried coachmen, footmen and postilions. The horses earn their keep by supporting the work of the Royal Household, particularly during ceremonial events. Horses pulling a large carriage known as a "covered brake" collect the Yeoman of the Guard in their distinctive red uniforms from St James's Palace for Investitures at Buckingham Palace; High Commissioners or Ambassadors are driven to their audiences with the King and Queen in landaus; visiting heads of state are transported to and from official arrival ceremonies and members of the Royal Family are driven in Royal Mews coaches during Trooping the Colour, the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle and carriage processions at the beginning of each day of Royal Ascot.

Construction

Body

Carriages may be enclosed or open, depending on the type. The top cover for the body of a carriage is called the ''head'' or ''hood'', and is sometimes flexible and designed to be folded back when desired. Such a folding top is called a ''bellows top'' or '' calash''. A ''hoopstick'' forms a light framing member for this kind of hood. The top, roof or second-story compartment of a coach was called an ''imperial''. A closed carriage may have side windows called ''quarter lights'' (British) as well as windows in the doors, hence a "glass coach". On the forepart of an open carriage, a screen of wood or leather called a '' dashboard'' intercepts water, mud or snow thrown up by the heels of the horses. The dashboard or carriage top sometimes has a projecting sidepiece called a ''wing'' (British). A ''foot iron'' or ''footplate'' may serve as a carriage step.

A carriage driver sits on a ''box'' or ''perch'', usually elevated and small. When at the front, it is known as a ''dickey box'', a term also used for a seat at the back for servants. A footman might use a small platform at the rear called a ''footboard'' or a seat called a '' rumble'' behind the body. Some carriages have a small fold-down seat called a ''jump seat''. Some seats had an attached backrest called a ''lazyback''.

Seating in carriages include the following terminology and arrangements:
* A ''crosswise'' or ''transverse'' seat-board is aligned from the left to right sides of the vehicle; passengers face forward or backwards.
* A ''longitudinal'' seat runs lengthwise, front to back.
* The ''phaeton method'' arranges crosswise seats for all passengers to face forward. An example is the Surrey.
* The ''vis-à-vis method'' of seating has crosswise seats arranged for passengers in the forward seat to face those in the rear seat (face-to-face). Examples includes all coaches, the Landau, and the Vis-à-vis.
* A ''dos-à-dos'' seating arrangement has crosswise seats for passengers to sit back-to-back. An example is the Dogcart.
* The ''jaunting car method'' has two longitudinal seats placed back-to-back where the passengers face outward. An example is the Jaunting car outside car.
* The ''wagonette method'' has two longitudinal seats placed to the outer edge of the vehicle's body so passengers face each other; entry is usually from the rear of the vehicle. Examples include the Wagonette and the Governess cart.

The shafts of a carriage were called ''limbers'' in English dialect. ''Lancewood'', a tough elastic wood of various trees, was often used especially for carriage shafts. A ''holdback'', consisting of an iron catch on the shaft with a looped strap, enables a horse to back or hold back the vehicle. The end of the tongue of a carriage is suspended from the collars of the harness by a bar called the ''yoke''. At the end of a trace, a loop called a ''cockeye'' attaches to the carriage.

In some carriage types, the body is suspended by several leather straps called ''thoroughbraces'' or ''braces'' which serve as springs.

Undercarriage

Beneath the carriage body is the ''undergear'' or ''undercarriage'' (or simply ''carriage''), consisting of the running gear and chassis. The wheels and axles, in distinction from the body, are the ''running gear''. The wheels revolve upon bearings or a spindle at the ends of a bar or beam called an ''axle'' or ''axletree''. Most carriages have either one or two axles. On a four-wheeled vehicle, the forward part of the running gear, or ''forecarriage'', is arranged to permit the front axle to turn independently of the fixed rear axle. In some carriages a dropped axle, bent twice at a right angle near the ends, allows for a low body with large wheels. A guard called a ''dirtboard'' keeps dirt from the axle arm.

Several structural members form parts of the chassis supporting the carriage body. The fore axletree and the splinter bar above it (supporting the springs) are united by a piece of wood or metal called a futchel, which forms a socket for the pole that extends from the front axle. For strength and support, a rod called the '' backstay'' may extend from either end of the rear axle to the reach, the pole or rod joining the hind axle to the forward bolster above the front axle.

A skid called a ''drag'', '' dragshoe'', ''shoe'' or ''skidpan'' retards the motion of the wheels. A London patent of 1841 describes one such apparatus: "An iron-shod beam, slightly longer than the radius of the wheel, is hinged under the axle so that when it is released to strike the ground the forward momentum of the vehicle wedges it against the axle". The original feature of this modification was that instead of the usual practice of having to stop the carriage to retract the beam and so lose useful momentum the chain holding it in place is released (from the driver's position) so that it is allowed to rotate further in its backwards direction, releasing the axle. A system of "pendant-levers" and straps then allows the beam to return to its first position and be ready for further use.

A catch or block called a ''trigger'' may be used to hold a wheel on an incline.

A horizontal wheel or segment of a wheel called a ''fifth wheel'' sometimes forms an extended support to prevent the carriage from tipping; it consists of two parts rotating on each other about the kingbolt or perchbolt above the fore axle and beneath the body. A block of wood called a ''headblock'' might be placed between the fifth wheel and the forward spring.

Wheels

The basic parts of a wheel are nave (or hub), spokes, felloes (felly) and tyre (tire).

In a wooden-wheel, the nave is the central block. It acts as the hub. One end of each spoke is set into the nave with a mortise and tenon joint. In older wheels, the nave had a 6-inch sleeve that fit over the axle to keep the wheel from wobbling; it required frequent greasing. Modern wheels use metal bearings in the hub.

Spokes are the pieces that fit into the nave or hub at the center, radiate outwards, and join into the felloes at the outer edge.

In a wooden-wheel, a felloe is one of several curved pieces of wood that are pieced together in a circle to make the rim of a wheel. They are fitted onto the outer ends of the spokes. Sometimes spelled "felly". The number of felloes required to make a circle varied by region, era and size of wheel—with a minimum of two half-circles of bent wood, to multiple felloes per wheel with at least two spokes per felloe. Felloes are part of wood joinery and are only seen in wooden wheels, not modern metal carriage wheels.

The rim is the outer edge of a wheel, although some refer to the tyre as rim.

The tyre or tire is a protective strip that goes outside the felloes. Tyres were make of iron or steel, usually as a hoop and fitted hot around the rim. As it cooled and shrank it tightened the joints of the spokes-to-felloes and spokes-to-nave, strengthening the wheel and making it more rigid. Metal tyres are very noisy on hard road surfaces, so many carriages wheels were made with solid rubber tyres fitted into a metal channel.

Modern sport carriages such as the marathon carriage have hard rubber tires and all metal wheels. Some lightweight carriages, such as the sulky, have metal " bicycle spokes" and pneumatic tires.

Due to age or dry climate, a wooden wheel would shrink and metal hoop tyres would become loose. Routinely, the hoop would be removed by a wheelwright, 'shrunk', heated and refitted to make the wheel tight again. Tools to shrink the hoops were called "tire upsetters" or "tire shrinkers".

Fittings, furnishings and appointments

Originally, the word ''fittings'' referred to metal elements such as bolts and brackets, ''furnishings'' leaned more to leatherwork and upholstery or referred to metal buckles on harness, and ''appointments'' were things brought to a carriage but not part of it, however all of these words have blended together over time and are often used interchangeably to mean the smaller components or parts of a carriage or equipment. All the shiny metal fittings on a vehicle should be one color, such as brass (yellow) or nickel (white), and should match the buckle color of any harness used with the vehicle. Early bodies of horseless carriages were constructed by coachmakers using the same parts used in carriages and coaches, and some horse carriage terminology has survived in modern automobiles.

* Upholstery: Seats might be upholstered using leather, broadcloth, or plush fabrics. Elegant carriages might have upholstery-lined walls and ceilings, and button-tucked velvet seats trimmed with gold braid.
* Carriage lamps: First used around 1700, oil-powered lamps were used throughout the 1800s, though abandoned in favor of candles in the late 1800s, as oil was messy. Lamps are mounted on ''lamp brackets'' and are removable for storage, daily wick trimming, or during daylight hours.
* Boot: Any of several box-like parts of a carriage used for storage of small items. A boot may be found under the coachman's seat, under the passenger's seat, or behind the body of the carriage between the rear wheels. This led to the use of the term boot in British English for the main storage compartment of an automobile.
* Whip socket: Tubular holder for a whip usually mounted on the dashboard or to the right of the driver.
* Whip: A long whip composed of a stiff stick (called the ''stock''), a long flexible thong, and a short lash. The length should be appropriate for the distance from the driver (who is also called a ''Whip'') to the shoulder of the forwardmost horse. With a small pony and cart a whip of overall length of 7 or 8 feet might be appropriate, whereas driving a team of four horses might require an overall length of 17 feet. Driving whips are not "cracked" to make noise, but are a communication aid used by touching the lash on or near the shoulder of the horse.
* Blankets: in cold weather, blankets for the driver and passengers and often horse blankets as well may be carried in a boot.

Carriage terminology

The carriage driver is called a ''whip''. A person whose business was to drive a carriage was a ''coachman''. A person dressed in livery is called a '' footman''. An attendant on horseback called an ''outrider''. A ''carriage starter'' directed the flow of vehicles taking on passengers at the curbside. A ''hackneyman'' hired out horses and carriages.

Upper-class people of wealth and social position, those wealthy enough to keep carriages, were referred to as ''carriage folk'' or ''carriage trade''.

Carriage passengers often used a ''lap robe'' as a blanket or similar covering for their legs, lap and feet.

A horse especially bred for carriage use by appearance and stylish action is called a ''carriage horse''; one for use on a road is a ''road horse''. One such breed is the '' Cleveland Bay'', uniformly bay in color, of good conformation and strong constitution. Horses were broken in using a bodiless carriage frame called a ''break'' or ''brake''.

A '' carriage dog'' or ''coach dog'' is bred for running beside a carriage.

A roofed structure that extends from the entrance of a building over an adjacent driveway and that shelters callers as they get in or out of their vehicles is known as a ''carriage porch'' or '' porte cochere''. An outbuilding for a carriage is a ''coach house'', which was often combined with accommodation for a groom or other servants.

A '' livery stable'' kept horses and usually carriages for hire. A range of stables, usually with '' carriage houses'' (''remises'') and living quarters built around a yard, court or street, is called a '' mews''.

A kind of dynamometer called a ''peirameter'' indicates the power necessary to haul a carriage over a road or track.

File:HansomCab.jpg, Hansom cab and driver adding character to period filming
File:WeddingCarriage.JPG, Bride descending from a decorated wedding carriage
File:Teddy Roosevelt's carriage.jpg, President Theodore Roosevelt's brougham

Competitive driving

Driving is a competitive equestrian sport. Many horse shows have driving competitions for a particular style of driving, breed of horse, or type of vehicle. Show vehicles are usually carriages, carts, or buggies and, occasionally, sulkies or wagons. Modern high-technology carriages are made purely for competition, often called marathon carriages.

Internationally, there is intense competition in the all-round test of driving called combined driving or horse-driving trials, an equestrian discipline regulated by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) with national organizations representing each member country. World championships are conducted in alternate years, including single-horse, horse pairs and four-in-hand championships. The World Equestrian Games, held at four-year intervals, also includes a four-in-hand competition. For pony drivers, the World Combined Pony Championships are held every two years and include singles, pairs and four-in-hand events.

Carriage museums and collections

; Argentina
* Muhfit (Museo Histórico Fuerte Independencia Tandil), Tandil.

; Australia
* Cobb & Co Museum – National Carriage Collection, Queensland Museum, Toowoomba, Queensland.
* National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Carriage Collection

; Austria

* Imperial Carriage Museum at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna
* Kutschenmuseum in Laa an der Thaya

; Belgium
* Bornem Castle Carriage collection in Bornem
* in Bree
* De Groom Carriage Center Bruges in Bruges
* Koetsen Verdonckt in Maarkedal
* Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels

; Brazil

* Imperial Museum in Petrópolis
* National Historical Museum in Rio de Janeiro

; Canada
* Campbell Carriage Factory Museum in Sackville, New Brunswick
* Kings Landing Historical Settlement in Prince William, New Brunswick — large collection of horse and oxen drawn vehicles
* Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston, Alberta

; Denmark
* Royal Carriage Museum, Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen

; Egypt
* Carriage Museum in Cairo Citadel

; France
* Apremont-sur-Allier, Musée des calèches ( Berry)
* Bourg, Musée Au temps des calèches ( Guyenne)
* Cazes-Mondenard, Musée de l'Attelage et du corbillard Yvan Quercy (Quercy)
* Château de Chambord. Carriage room of the Count of Chambord in Chambord, Loir-et-Cher
* Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Musée du cheval du château Lanessan ( Guyenne)
* Le Fleix, Musée de l’hippomobile André Clament ( Périgord)
* Les Épesses, Musée de la voiture à cheval ( Vendée, Bas- Poitou)
* Marcigny, Musée de la voiture à cheval ( Bourgogne)
* National Car and Tourism Museum at Château de Compiègne in Compiègne
* Plouay. Musée du conservatoire de la voiture hippomobile (Brittany)
* Sacy-le-grand, Musée du cheval de trait ( Picardie)
* Saint-Auvent, musée Au temps jadis ( Limousin)
* Sérignan, Musée de l’attelage et du cheval (Languedoc)
* Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Musée des Equipages (Île-de-France)
* Galerie des Carrosses at Grande Écurie in Versailles (Île-de-France)

; Germany
* Hesse Museum of Carriages and Sleighs in Lohfelden near Kassel
* Marstallmuseum of Carriages and Sleighs in the former Royal Stables, Nymphenburg Palace, Munich
* Romano-Germanic Museum

; Italy
* Collection at CastelBrando near Cison di Valmarino
* Museo "Le Carrozze d'Epoca", Rome.
* Museo Civico delle Carrozze d'Epoca di Codroipo.
* Museo Civico delle Carrozze d'Epoca, San Martino, Udine.
* Museo della Carrozza in Macerata
* Museo delle Carrozze del Quirinale, Rome.
* Museum of Coaches at Palazzo Farnese, Piacenza in Piacenza
* Carriage exhibit of the Grand Ducal court at Palazzo Pitti in Florence
* Museo delle Carrozze, Catanzaro.
* Carriage collection at Villa Barbaro in Maser, Veneto
* Carriage collection at Villa Pignatelli in Naples

; Japan
* Japanese Imperial Household Agency, Tokyo

; Netherlands
* , Leek in Groningen.

; Poland

* Kozłówka Palace in Kozłówka
* Łańcut Castle in Łańcut
* in Rogalin

; Portugal
* Geraz do Lima Carriage museum in Viana do Castelo
* National Coach Museum () in Lisbon

; Spain
* , Seville
* Igualada Muleteer's Museum in Igualada

; Sweden
* Ulriksdal Palace in Edsviken

; Switzerland
* Basel Historical Museum in Basel

; Turkey
* Tofaş Museum of Cars and Anatolian Carriages in Bursa

; United Kingdom
* Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, Northumberland
* Arlington Court & The National Trust's Carriage Collection in Arlington, Devon
* Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
* Gordon Boswell Romany Museum in Spalding, Lincolnshire
* Mossman Carriage Collection in Luton, Bedfordshire
* Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace in London
* Sandringham House in Sandringham, Norfolk
* Swingletree Carriage Collection of John Parker in Diss, Norfolk
* Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages in Maidstone, Kent

; United States
* Angels Camp Museum in Angels Camp, California
* Carriage Museum of America, Lexington, Kentucky
* Florida Carriage Museum & Resort in Weirsdale, Florida (formerly ''Austin Carriage Museum'')
* Forney Transportation Museum in Denver, Colorado
* Frick Car & Carriage Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, preserving carriages owned by Henry Clay Frick and his family
* Genesee Country Village and Museum in Wheatland, New York
* Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum in Canandaigua, New York
* Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York
* Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan
* Horseshoe Barn and Annex at Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont
* Jeremiah Reeves House and Carriage House in Dover, Ohio
* Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages in Stony Brook, New York
* Maymont in Richmond, Virginia
* Morven Park's Winmill Carriage Museum in Leesburg, Virginia
* Northwest Carriage Museum in Raymond, Washington
* Pioneer Village in Farmington, Utah
* Robert H. Renneberger Carriage Museum in Frederick, Maryland
* Robert Thomas Carriage Museum in Blackstone, Virginia
* Skyline Farm Carriage Museum, North Yarmouth, Maine
* Thrasher Carriage Collection at Allegany Museum in Cumberland, Maryland
* Washington, Kentucky Carriage Museum
* Wesley Jung Carriage Museum on Wade House Historic Site in Greenbush, Wisconsin
* William A. Heiss House and Buggy Shop in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania; includes 19th century carriage factory

Types of horse-drawn carriages

Numerous varieties of horse-drawn carriages existed, Arthur Ingram's ''Horse Drawn Vehicles since 1760 in Colour'' lists 325 types with a short description of each. By the early 19th century one's choice of carriage was only in part based on practicality and performance; it was also a status statement and subject to changing fashions.

See also

* Driving (horse)
* Horse harness
* Horse-drawn vehicle
* Coach (carriage)
* Wagon
* Horsecar
* Horseless carriage (term for early automobiles)

References

Further reading

* Bean, Heike, & Sarah Blanchard (authors), Joan Muller (illustrator), ''Carriage Driving: A Logical Approach Through Dressage Training'', Howell Books, 1992.
*
* Boyer, Marjorie Nice. "Mediaeval Suspended Carriages". ''Speculum'', v34 n3 (July 1959): 359–366.
* Boyer, Marjorie Nice. ''Mediaeval Suspended Carriages''. Cambridge, Mass.: The Mediaeval Academy of America, 1959. .
* Bristol Wagon Works Co., ''Bristol Wagon & Carriage Illustrated Catalog, 1900'', Dover Publications, 1994.
* Elkhart Manufacturing Co., ''Horse-Drawn Carriage Catalog, 1909'' (Dover Pictorial Archives), Dover Publications, 2001.
*
Original Vol IOriginal Vol II

* Hutchins, Daniel D., ''Wheels Across America: Carriage Art & Craftsmanship'', Tempo International Publishing Company, 1st edition, 2004.
* Ingram, Arthur, ''Horse Drawn Vehicles since 1760 in Colour'', Blandford Press, 1977.
* King-Hele, Desmond. "Erasmus Darwin's Improved Design for Steering Carriages—And Cars". ''Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London'', 56, no. 1 (2002): 41–62.
* Kinney, Thomas A., ''The Carriage Trade: Making Horse-Drawn Vehicles in America'' (Studies in Industry and Society), The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004.
* Lawrence, Bradley & Pardee, ''Carriages and Sleighs: 228 Illustrations from the 1862 Lawrence, Bradley & Pardee Catalog'', Dover Publications, 1998.
* Museums at Stony Brook, ''The Carriage Collection'', Museums, 2000.
* Nelson Alan H. "Six-Wheeled Carts: An Underview". ''Technology and Culture'', v13 n3 (July 1972): 391–416.
* Richardson, M. T., ''Practical Carriage Building'', Astragal Press, 1994.
* Ryder, Thomas (author), Rodger Morrow (editor), ''The Coson Carriage Collection at Beechdale'', Carriage Association of America, 1989. .
* Wackernagel, Rudolf H., ''Wittelsbach State and Ceremonial Carriages: Coaches, Sledges and Sedan Chairs in the Marstallmuseum Schloss Nymphenburg'', Arnoldsche Verlagsanstalt GmbH, 2002.
*
* Ware, I. D., ''Coach-Makers' Illustrated Hand-Book, 1875: Containing Complete Instructions in All the Different Branches of Carriage Building'', Astragal Press, 2nd edition, 1995.
* Westermann, William Linn. "On Inland Transportation and Communication in Antiquity". ''Political Science Quarterly'', v43 n3 (September 1928): 364–387.
* "Colonial Roads and Wheeled Vehicles". ''The William and Mary Quarterly'', v8 n1 (July 1899): 37–42. .

External links

''19th century American carriages: Their manufacture, decoration and use''.
By Museums at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 1987. Long Island Digital Books Project, CONTENTdm Collection, Stony Brook University, Southampton, New York.


University of North Carolina at Charlotte.


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070822101846/http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Sty_apdx.htm Appendix to Cadillac "Styling" section (coaching terminology).The Classic Car-Nection: Yann Saunders, Cadillac Database. Drawings and text

CAAOnline: Carriage Tour
Carriage Association of America. Photos and text.

Calisphere – A World of Digital Resources.
Search ''carriage''. University of California. Hundreds of photos.

''Carriages & Coaches: Their History & Their Evolution''
by Ralph Straus, 1912, London.


an

ThinkQuest Library. Illustrations and text.

Colonial Carriage Works – America's Finest Selection of Horse Drawn Vehicles.
Columbus, Wisconsin.

''Driving for Pleasure, Or The Harness Stable and its Appointments'' by Francis Underhill, 1896.
Carnegie Mellon University. A comprehensive overview, with photographs of horse-drawn carriages in use at the turn of the 19th century. Full text free to read, with free full text search.

''An Encyclopædia of Domestic Economy, Comprising Subjects Connected with the Interests of Every Individual''..., by Thomas Webster and William Parkes, 1855.
Book XXIII, Carriages. Google Book Search.

''English Pleasure Carriages: Their Origin, History, Varieties, Materials, Construction, Defects, Improvements, and Capabilities: With an Analysis of the Construction of Common Roads and Railroads, and the Public Vehicles Used on Them; Together with Descriptions of New Inventions'' by William Bridges Adams, 1837.
Google Book Search.


The Guild of Model Wheelwrights.

Galaxy of Images , Smithsonian Institution Libraries.
Carriages and sleighs.


Georgian Index. Illustrations and text.

''The History of Coaches'', by George Athelstane Thrupp, 1877.
Google Book Search.


Educational Technology Clearinghouse, University of South Florida. Drawings.


Jane Austen Society of North America. Illustrations and text.

The Kinross Carriageworks, Stirling (Scotland), 1802–1966.




''Modern carriages'', by W. Gilbey, 1905.
The University of Hong Kong Libraries, China–America Digital Academic Library (CADAL).


The Guild of Model Wheelwrights. Illustrations and text.

Science and Society Picture Library – Search
Illustrations and text.


Texas Transportation Museum, San Antonio. Photos and text.


The New York Times, 29 October 1871, page 2.

{{Horse-drawn carriages

Animal-powered vehicles
Horse driving
Obsolete technologies