The natural varnished body was a deceptively simple vehicle _The carriages at Shelburne Museum

In the _Coachmaker’s Illustrated Handbook_, published in 1875,

the chapter on painting pointed out the hazards of the clear varnish

finish: “The varnish can crawl, run, enamel, pit, blotch, sag down and

hang on the lower edge; smoke or cloud over; appear as though dust

had been dredged on it through a piece of fine mull, or gather up and

hang in heavy ridges or beads along the center part of the spokes and

other carriage parts. These irregularities will happen with the best

quality of varnish and with workmen of undoubted skill, and are caused

by atmospheric influences alone.” The English varnish was preferred by

carriage painters, for they believed it possessed a secret ingredient

which made it the finest available at that time.

_Gift of the Webb family in memory of Dr. and Mrs. W. Seward

Webb_

[Illustration]

PONY BUCKBOARD

_Natural varnished body, yellow gear striped in black. Trimmed in

brown corduroy._

This buckboard was used by the Webb children and was pony-drawn. It was

made by J. B. Dubuc who was the Shelburne town blacksmith, and whose

smithy is now located at the museum, having been moved to the grounds

in January of 1956 from its location next to the railroad tracks.

Dubuc came to Shelburne in 1869 from Canada and with his capital of $55

and his trade as a blacksmith set himself up in business. He was the

owner of a livery stable, paint shop, harness and carriage shop and

operated the meat market here in Shelburne as a sideline. Retiring when

his health failed, he took an active part in town affairs, serving as

school director and town library treasurer.

_Gift of the Webb family in memory of Dr. and Mrs. W. Seward

Webb_

These two photos were taken at Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, Vermont in

the early 1890’s.

[Illustration: Top photo shows J. Watson Webb (holding the reins)

and W. Seward Webb, Jr., sons of Dr. and Mrs. Webb in the pony

buckboard.]

[Illustration: Lower photo shows Vanderbilt Webb, the other son of

Dr. and Mrs. Webb with his dogs and the family coachman sitting in

front of one of Dr. Webb’s buggies.]

[Illustration]

DOUBLE BUCKBOARD

_Body painted black; gear painted red. Trimmed in brown leather._

The true buckboard has been defined as a light four-wheeled vehicle

in which the body and springs are replaced by long, elastic boards,

supported at the ends directly by the axles. The driver’s comfort, as

well as that of his passengers, depended upon the resiliency of the

boards themselves, and the buckboard proved a far more comfortable

vehicle for long trips than might be expected.

This buckboard was used at the Kildare Club in the Adirondacks in the

1880’s. After this club was sold, the buckboard was used at Nehasane,

in Hamilton County, New York, a game preserve and hunting camp owned by

Dr. W. Seward Webb.

_Gift of Mr. J. Watson Webb, Shelburne, Vermont._

[Illustration]

TRIPLE BUCKBOARD

_Body and gear in natural varnish finish. Trimmed with black

leather._

Single and double buckboards are often found, but this triple buckboard

is considered a rare example. It was made for Dr. E. D. Ferguson of

Troy, New York about 1885 to his order in Glens Falls, New York. It

descended to his grandson, the little boy sitting with his mother in

the rear seat of the buckboard in the old photo below, who gave it to

the museum in 1953.

_Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Everard Childs, Manchester,

Vermont_

[Illustration]

UNCLASSIFIED VEHICLES

[Illustration]

RACING SULKY

_Framework and wheels painted yellow._

This type of two-wheel cart was used for exercising and racing trotting

horses. Built as light as possible with practically no body work, these

sulkies were really mere frames supporting the single seat.

From mid-19th century, trotting parks and race tracks were established

in the New England states. These were the natural outgrowth of the

impromptu brushes between drivers on the road. The trot is the most

comfortable for the driver and the easiest gait for the horse in

harness, and then too the New England Puritan conscience could be

quieted with the explanation that light harness racing was in reality

an attempt to improve the breed of trotters. Races at local fair

grounds gave breeders a chance to see their home-grown stock in action

and competition with the “experts” on tour. A prize-winning performance

on the track always influenced prices, and many a farmer dreamed of

raising a trotter that would one day bring him real fame.

[Illustration]

SKELETON WAGON

_Body and wheels painted red._

This light racing cart was found in Westford, Vermont and shows the

webbed seat and pencil-slim spokes of the early skeleton wagon.

Rural communities here in Vermont have enjoyed harness racing for many

years, and Bertha Oppenheim (_Winged Seed_) depicted the Fourth

of July races held in the early years of this century in Ferrisburg, a

small community just south of the Shelburne Museum. The brass band had

been engaged far in advance; ice cream and lemonade were on sale in the

refreshment tents; horses had been entered from as far away as Rutland

and Manchester, Vermont--and even from across the lake in New York

State. Hundreds of buggies and horses were hitched to fences everywhere

and Ford cars were parked on the sidelines too. The racing carts,

decorated with many colors, lined the track. The “trots” were exciting,

but the free-for-all race was the climax of the celebration.

[Illustration]

TUB CART

_Natural color varnish; metal-rimmed ties. Trimmed in brown

leather._

Each of the Webb children in turn learned to drive in this little cart

dating from about 1883 and made to Dr. Webb’s specifications by a local

wheelwright. Wheelwrights often made entire vehicles and served as

village carpenters.

Wheel-making consisted of several processes--the hub was first turned

by hand lathe and then mortised to take the spokes. Felloes or fellies

(the wooden outer rim of the wheel), cut by the bow saw and adzed to

shape, were then mortised and fitted to the spokes.

Fitting the outer rim to the completed wheel was the final operation.

In the old days the wheel was straked--that is, overlapping iron plates

were nailed to the rim of the wheel. About 1850 the hoop tire began to

supersede the strake. Here the length of iron was welded into a hoop,

heated so that it would expand and then dropped onto the wheel. It was

cooled with buckets of water and after shrinking made a tight, secure

metal rim for the wheel.

_Gift of the Webb family in memory of Dr. and Mrs. W. Seward

Webb_

[Illustration: (Above) The Webb head coachman holding the pony and

Frederica, aged 4 and J. Watson Webb, 2 years old, each with one of the

reins. Even before children could walk, they were given their first

driving and riding lessons.]

[Illustration: (Below) Frederica has graduated. She is now 5 years

old; her gentle pony is Frieda and she can drive alone. Both these

pictures were taken at Oakledge, in Burlington, Vermont and show the

little Tub Cart designed by Dr. Webb.]

[Illustration]

KENTUCKY BREAKING CART

_Body painted red. Trimmed with brown leather._

Not a carriage in the true meaning of the word, this type of vehicle

was intended solely for breaking horses. The very long shafts kept the

float body and its occupant at a comfortable distance from the heels

of the young horse being schooled, and because of the placement of the

seat, the driver was given better control and greater security. This

cart could also be used for exercising horses.

Manufactured by the H. H. Babcock Company of Watertown, New York.

_Gift of Dr. Stuart Orton, Rahway, New Jersey._

[Illustration]

CONCORD WAGON

_Body originally painted old blue color._

The concord wagon was the name given to this type of vehicle, although

companies other than the Concord, New Hampshire firm of Downing and

Abbot manufactured them. In 1813 Lewis Downing started building

vehicles in Concord. He formed a partnership with Stephen Abbot,

which was later dissolved. Abbot continued manufacturing vehicles and

later a new company, Abbot-Downing Company of Concord, New Hampshire

was formed. Stage coaches, mountain wagons, horse-drawn barges, even

horse-drawn street railway cars were manufactured at the Abbot-Downing

shops over the years.

_Gift of Mr. W. B. Hill, Tilton, New Hampshire_

[Illustration]

PLEASURE WAGON

_Green, red wheels, picked out with black._

This vehicle, with its light green acorn stencilled pattern, is one of

the oldest carriages in this collection. It was licensed in 1815 in

Vergennes, Vermont by Beldon Seymour. It is of hand construction and

follows the principles of early framing with the use of mortising and

pegging the parts together.

This carriage transported President James Monroe during his tour of

the Northern States in July of 1817, and Commodore MacDonough of Lake

Champlain fame was also a passenger in this vehicle that year.

In 1888 Mr. Sheldon of Middlebury purchased this wagon from a Mr.

Kellogg for $45 and presented it to the Sheldon Museum.

_On loan from the Sheldon Museum, Middlebury, Vermont._

[Illustration]

CANADIAN CALÈCHE

_Body painted black; red and yellow striping; light grey wheels.

Trimming: beige broadcloth with beige lace._

The Canadian calèche differs greatly from the French calèche, which is

a four-wheeled vehicle. The body of this two-wheeled Canadian example

rests upon leather braces which are suspended from C-shaped supports.

This vehicle displays an extensive use of striping for decoration,

but in a restrained manner. “The variety of styles in striping are

limited,” said I. D. Ware in his instructions to carriage painters in

1875, “When we discard those which lessen rather than increase the

beauty of the work. We first had the fine line enlivened by being

dotted at the ends of each stripe ... gradually changes took place in

the quantity of striping run on as the desire arose for gaudy colors.

Modest and retiring colors were in great measure abandoned, ushering in

straw, orange, red and crimson and these were followed and accompanied

with a perfect shower of gold leaf.”

[Illustration]

MOUNTAIN WAGON

_Body painted very dark green, striped in red; gear black. Trimmed in

black leather._

This mountain wagon was originally owned by the Mount Pleasant Hotel up

in the Crawford Notch, New Hampshire. At the turn of the century, these

elegant resort hotels in the White mountains used these wagons to take

their guests to the summit where an elaborate picnic lunch was served

to them.

Note the hand brake--it is exceptionally sturdy, for one of these

vehicles carrying its full quota of passengers weighed a considerable

amount, and checking the rate of descent of the steep mountain roads

was somewhat of a problem. This vehicle was built by the Abbot-Downing

Company of Concord, New Hampshire.

[Illustration]

BARGE

_Green and yellow body, yellow gear. Lettering_ LADY

OXFORD _in straw color shadow-outlined in red (recently

repainted)_.

Mr. Jabez W. Peterson, 75 years old in 1954, was the driver of this

barge from 1908 to 1918 when it carried passengers to the Brant Rock

Beach section from the Marshfield, Massachusetts depot. The barge was

built in Concord, New Hampshire by the Abbot-Downing Company and was

one of 6 or 8 that regularly plied the beach circuit. Baggage was

carried free, and the income from this barge, according to Mr. Peterson

amounted to $1,000 in one month at 35¢ fares. Three or four trips were

made every day, including Sunday. Sam and John, Genevera and Pete,

four sorrel horses with white manes and tails, pulled the LADY

OXFORD.

“I drove that barge in all the parades,” said Mr. Peterson, “and

carried the bands, Grand Army men, etc. All these older men have passed

on, and I believe I am the only one left that would remember about that

barge.”

[Illustration]

SCHROON LAKE CONCORD COACH

_Body painted yellow with orange trim. Interior is russet leather._

The Concord coaches have become a more familiar sight, perhaps, to the

youngsters of today than to their parents, for television with its Wild

West movies has made the Concord the trademark of the west.

The opening of the gold fields in California--the Comstock Lode, the

Nevada silver camps--the famous Wells Fargo saga--all these were made

possible because of the Concord coach. The men who drove the coaches

and their exploits have become the folklore of America.

Until the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the two choices

open to a traveller to the west were the long and arduous voyage by

sea around the Cape of Good Hope or the equally dangerous trip by

stagecoach over the towering mountains and down precipitous grades.

Rigid time schedules were maintained; the six horses used on many

of the stages were pushed to their capacity, and the drivers who

trekked over the Sierra Nevada made the Placerville grade the busiest

thoroughfare west of the Rockies. Dozens of Concord coaches rolled on

daily schedules and scaled the heights of 7200 feet as a matter of

course.

The Concord was of the same body form as the oldtime English coaches

of the 18th century. The two lengthwise “thorough-braces” fashioned

of several strips of leather stitched together, absorbed some of the

shock. The body hung on these braces with the driver’s seat high in

front and an integral part of the coach. Inside there was room for 9

passengers (though often more were crowded in) and the capacity of the

coaches was 4,000 lbs. The bodies were rounded and smoothly curved with

drop windows and painted decorations of eagles, scrolls and pastoral

scenes. Curtains and upholstery were most often of russet leather.

There was another version of the Concord coach--similar in appearance,

but specifically designed for the Eastern part of the United States and

of lighter construction. These coaches were the connecting links to the

railroads until a surprisingly recent time. Such a model is the one

illustrated below. It was operated by Waddel & Emerson and ran between

the railroad station at Riverside, New York, and the steamboat landing

on Schroon Lake, near Pottersville. From there, passengers took the

steamer _Evelyn_ to the village of Schroon at the head of the lake

or intermediate points.

[Illustration: Photo--Gift of Mr. Albert Jacob, Jr. Scarsdale, New

York--showing the Schroon Lake coach at intersection of Routes 8 and 9

at Loon Lake in the Town of Chester, Warren County. Photo taken about

1907 or 1908.]

[Illustration]

CONCORD MUD WAGON

_Body painted Indian red, remnants of yellow paint on gear._

This type Concord, known as the California mud wagon or poor man’s

Concord, incorporated the same principles of construction found in the

finer Concords, but the joinery was done in a simpler manner and the

body was shaped with flat sides instead of the egg shape of the regular

Concords.

This mud wagon was used in Herkimer County, New York and was probably

built by Abbot and Downing, for it is identical with their style number

208.

[Illustration]

HIGHLAND & ALPINE HOUSE CONCORD COACH

_Red with gold and black trim; interior is heavy crimson mohair._

This coach, completed April 5, 1852, was used by the Highland and

Alpine hotels in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

In blurred pencil markings on the inside door where the lining has

fallen away can still be seen the names of the men who worked on this

coach--John L. French, wheelwright; William L. Pearson, trimmer; John

Bergum, painter.

Great care was lavished on the painting of the scrolls, striping and

decorative scenes on the door panels. Customers usually had definite

ideas as to what they wanted--“ornament up rich and tasty,” “flowers

and nice landscapes on doors;” “put eagle,” “on the other door a female

figure,” “on the door Pharaoh’s horses,” “a lady on horseback;” “Queen

Victoria” (this for a stage line in Nova Scotia, Canada); “a coach

and horses painted in the road,” “horses on one door and dogs on the

other”--These specifications appear on the old order forms in the

archives of the New Hampshire Historical Society.

_Bibliography_

ADAMS, WILLIAM BRIDGES, English Pleasure Carriages, London,

England 1837

BEAUFORT, DUKE OF, Driving, Badminton Series, London, England

1889

BELLOC, HILAIRE, Highway and its Vehicles, London, England 1926

BURGESS, JAMES W., Practical Treatise on Coach Building, London,

England 1881

DOWNING, PAUL H., Carriage Gallery at the New York Historical

Society, New York Historical Society Quarterly, October 1950

EARLE, ALICE MORSE, Stage Coach and Tavern Days, New York 1900

FELTON, WILLIAM, A Treatise on Carriages, London, England 1796

FITZGERALD, WM. N., Carriage Trimmers’ Manual and Guide Book and

Illustrated Technical Dictionary, New York 1881

GARLAND, JAMES A., The Private Stable, Boston, Massachusetts 1903

GILBEY, SIR WALTER, Modern Carriages, London, England 1905

HOWLETT, E., Driving Lessons, New York 1894

HUNT, ELMER MUNSON, Abbot-Downing and the Concord Coach,

Historical New Hampshire Quarterly 1945

KNIGHT, CAPT. C. MORLEY, Hints on Driving, London, England 1895

LENE, La Sellerie Français et Étrangère, Paris, France 1878

MCCAUSLAND, HUGH, The English Carriage, London, England 1948

MITCHELL, EDWIN VALENTINE, Horse and Buggy Age in New England,

New York 1937

MOSEMANS’, Illustrated Guide for Purchasers of Horse Furnishing

Goods, etc. New York, no date--about 1890

RITTENHOUSE, JACK D., American Horse-drawn Vehicles, Los

Angeles, Calif. 1948

ROGERS, FAIRMAN, A Manual of Coaching, Philadelphia, Pa. 1900

THROM, EDWARD L., Popular Mechanics Picture History of American

Transportation, New York 1952

UNDERHILL, FRANCIS T., Driving for Pleasure, New York 1896

WALL, MARGARET V., Carriage House of the Suffolk Museum at Stony

Brook, Long Island, New York 1954

WARE, FRANCIS M., Driving, New York 1903

WARE, I. D., Coach-makers’ Illustrated Handbook, Philadelphia,

Pa. 1875

* * * * *

Secondary sources--pamphlets, newspaper clippings,

correspondence, and carriage maker’s catalogs.

[Illustration]

_Catalog of Vehicles at Shelburne Museum_

_Note_--Sleighs, commercial and farm wagons, miniatures, and fire

equipment will be included in subsequent publications.

CATALOG ILLUSTRATED

NUMBER ON PAGE

V-1 ROAD CART (about 1870)

Museum collection

V-2 ONE-HORSE CHAISE (about 1830)

Built by Coach and Chaise Manufacturer, Charlestown,

Massachusetts.

On loan, Sheldon Museum, Middlebury, Vermont

V-3 CHAISE (late 18th century) 9

Museum collection

V-4 DOCTOR’S GIG (about 1800) 10

On loan, Sheldon Museum, Middlebury, Vermont

V-5 CANADIAN CALÈCHE (about 1885) 57

Museum collection

V-6 DOCTOR’S GIG (early 19th century)

Museum collection

V-7 CURTAIN ROCKAWAY (early 19th century)

On loan, Sheldon Museum, Middlebury, Vermont; gift to

them by C. Bullard of New Haven, Vermont

V-8 PLEASURE WAGON “President’s Carriage” (early 19th

century) 56

On loan, Sheldon Museum, Middlebury, Vermont

V-9 IRISH JAUNTING CAR (about 1900)

Gift of Mr. Cleveland Dodge, New York, New York

V-10 PANEL-BOOT VICTORIA (about 1895) 19

Built by Henry Hooker & Company, New Haven, Connecticut

(#1400).

Gift of Mrs. Charles E. Tilton, Tilton, New Hampshire

V-11 OCTAGON FRONT ROCKAWAY (about 1890)

Museum collection

V-12 “WICKER-SEAT” CABRIOLET (about 1865)

Museum collection

V-13 LADIES’ DRIVING PHAETON--parasol top (about 1890)

Museum collection

V-14 CUT-UNDER PHAETON (about 1890) 3

Museum collection

V-15 CURRICLE (about 1900) 8

Built by Brewster & Co., New York. Museum collection

V-16 MEADOWBROOK CART (about 1900)

Museum collection

V-17 THREE-SEAT SURREY (about 1900) 40

Museum collection

V-18 DOG CART (about 1890) 11

Built by Fred F. French and Company, Sudbury Street,

Boston, Mass.

Gift of Mr. Arthur Brown, Tilton, New Hampshire

V-19 CUT-UNDER BASKET PHAETON (about 1900) 6

Gift of Mr. Arthur Brown, Tilton, New Hampshire

V-20 PONY BUCKBOARD (about 1895)

Built by Joubert & White, Glens Falls, New York.

Gift of Mr. J. Watson Webb, Shelburne, Vt.

V-21 EXTENSION-TOP SURREY (about 1900) 41

Built by J. R. and J. H. Lockwood, Burlington, Vt.

Museum collection

V-22 COUPÉ ROCKAWAY (about 1900) 43

Built by Z. Thompson & Bros., Portland, Maine and

Kimball Brothers Company, Boston, Mass.

Museum collection

V-23 STICK-SEAT SURREY (about 1900)

Sold by Walter B. Johnson, Essex Junction, Vermont;

built by Cortland Cart and Carriage Company, Sidney,

New York.

Gift of Mrs. Edward H. Loomis, Addison, Vermont.

V-24 LEATHER TOP SURREY (about 1900)

Museum collection

V-25 ROCKAWAY (about 1885)

Built by Sargent and Company, Boston, Mass.

Gift of Fanny Allen Hospital, Burlington, Vermont

V-26 MINIATURE BROUGHAM (about 1885)

Gift of Fanny Allen Hospital, Burlington, Vt.

V-27 STICK-SEAT BUCKBOARD, “Liar’s Wagon” (about 1885)

Museum collection

V-28 GOVERNESS CART (about 1900)

Gift of Mrs. Wilfred Rhodes, St. Thomas, Jamaica

V-29 CONCORD WAGON (about 1840) 55

Built by Downing & Abbot., Concord, New Hampshire.

Gift of Mr. W. B. Hill, Tilton, New Hampshire

V-30 SKELETON WAGON (about 1870) 51

Museum collection

V-31 HANSOM CAB (about 1895) 31

Built by Hincks & Johnson, Bridgeport, Conn.

Museum collection

V-32 KENTUCKY BREAKING CART (about 1895) 54

Built by H. H. Babcock Company, Watertown, N. Y.

Gift of Dr. Stuart Orton, Rahway, New Jersey

V-33 DEPOT WAGON (about 1890) 42

Built by Horace Ervien, Ogontz, Pennsylvania.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Lippincott, Jenkintown, Pa.

V-34 SICILIAN DONKEY CART (about 1932)

Built Fabrica Carri, Montoleone, Palermo, Sicily.

Gift of Mrs. Gambrill in memory of her husband, Mr.

Richard V. N. Gambrill, Peapack, New Jersey

V-35 PONY BREAK (about 1938)

Built by Dennis Brothers, London, England.

Gift of Mrs. Gambrill in memory of her husband, Mr.

Richard V. N. Gambrill, Peapack, New Jersey

V-36 PONY DOG CART “Going-to-Cover Cart” (about 1890) 14

Built by Brewster & Co., New York.

Gift of Mrs. Gambrill in memory of her husband, Mr.

Richard V. N. Gambrill, Peapack, New Jersey

V-37 SPIDER PHAETON (about 1890) 2

Built by Muhlbacher, Paris, France.

Gift of Mrs. Gambrill in memory of her husband, Mr.

Richard V. N. Gambrill, Peapack, New Jersey

V-38 RUNABOUT (about 1900)

Gift of Mrs. Gambrill in memory of her husband, Mr.

Richard V. N. Gambrill, Peapack, New Jersey

V-39 BUCKBOARD BUGGY (about 1900)

Gift of Mrs. Gambrill in memory of her husband, Mr.

Richard V. N. Gambrill, Peapack, New Jersey

V-40 BUCKBOARD (about 1885).

Gift of Mr. Scott Lord Smith, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.

V-41 TUB CART (about 1883) 52