Five Books To Add To Your Carriage Research Shelf

The Carriage Association of American and our sister organization, Carriage Museum of America, often receive research requests. Perhaps the most frequent question both of us receive is “who made my carriage and how old is it?” Tips for finding maker tags, monograms, etc can be found at Tips for Researching Your Carriage. Sometimes the providence of a carriage is known but less is know about the type of carriage. Here are list of our top go-to books for learning more about carriages and their accessories.

Carriage Terminology : An Historical Dictionary by Don. H. Berkebile

Seriously, we can’t say enough good things about this book. Don Berkebile was a curator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Institute published this book in 1978. It is full of black and white illustrations along with easy to understand descriptions of every type of vehicle under the sun. It is out of print but used copies can still be found. Horse-Drawn Commerical Vehicles and American Carriages, Sleighs, Sulkies and Carts are also well illustrated books from Don. H. Berkebile.

Moseman’s Illustrated Guide for Purchasers of Horse Furnishing Goods: Novelties and Stable Appointments

From hats to snaps, in 1892 C.R. Moseman and Brother were selling it. The original book, which sold for only one dollar, is huge and printed on heavy stock. It included 3,000 hand engraved illustrations. The 1976 reproduction is much lighter but it still contains thousands of illustrations of everything from parasol driving whips and metal bit burnishers to sleighing plumes. If you have an equine related items that you can’t identify this book is a great starting point.

Driving for Pleasure: Or, The Harness Stable and Its Appointments By Francis T. Underhill

If you are looking for exact information regarding appointments, horses, harness and harnessing, bits and bitting, the stable, and other matters, then this is the book for you. Steve Holm, an experienced coachman, says, “Through the years I have found it to be invaluable! ” Museum professionals may find it helpful in setting up coaching dioramas, docents may find interesting tidbits to add to their repertoire and those looking to show their horses will learn what the judge should be looking for. It is not a light read but when you get done you should have a firm understanding of tandem and four-in-hand driving. Best of all Driving for Pleasure is available for free through Google Books. You may also enjoy The Private Stable: Its Establishment, Management, and Appointments by James Albert Garland which is also available through Google Books.

American Horse-Drawn Vehicles by Jack Rittenhouse

Published in 1948, this is great go-to books for American vehicles. There is no discussion of makers (although there are a number of illustrations featuring the Owensboro Wagon Co. logo) here, it is all about types of vehicles. In fact the subtitle is: Being a Collection of Two Hundred and Eighteen Pictures Showing One Hundred and Eighty-Three American Vehicles (and Parts Thereof) All Reproduced From Fashion Plates of the Builders or from Little-Known Original Photographs. There are some images like the Oil Pipe Gear (for use on oil fields) and the Turpentine Wagon (that was used in the South to hauling barrels of turpentine) that are truly rare. It is one of the few places were a Dray with Stake Sides can be found in the same book as a Round Bottom Brett.