Curtain-quarter rockaway
Maker not known
Circa 1905
Type:
The rockaway is an American style of carriage that was first built by a carriage builder on Long Island early in the 19th century. The standing top, with its extension over the driver’s seat, is a feature of the rockaway. The lack of a partition between the driver’s seat and the inside seat, with both being on the same level, marks it as a family carriage, a popular style in the U.S. The natural wood finish and the open quarters with curtains indicate that it was intended to be used primarily in the summer months in the country or at a resort.
Provenance:
The rockaway was the gift of Colonel George C. Haas of Mount Kisco, New York, to Mr. Seabrook in May, 1954. The original curtains were made of enamelled leather that had become stiff and cracked. In the 1880s, they were replaced with new curtains made of waterproof laminated duck.