Victoria (carriage)

The Victoria is a four-wheeled carriage with a coachman's seat in front and a folding hood over the passengers. Developed in France, it was imported to Britain where it was named Victoria in honor of Queen Victoria.[1] Drawn by one or two horses, it became a fashionable carriage for ladies riding in the park.[2]

Design

The Victoria has a low curving body with open sides and a forward-facing seat for two passengers under a folding hood (retractable top). It has a raised driver's seat on an iron frame in front of a large curved dash. It is entered by a low step on the side, and there are large curved fenders to protect passengers from mud and splashes.[3][4][5][2]

In the panel-boot Victoria, the large leather dash and ironworks coachman seat are transformed and combined into the wooden body of the carriage. It has an upright leather dash.[2][4]: 127 

A Grand Victoria is a large version with a small fold-down rearward-facing seat behind the driver which can accommodate children, and a rear rumble seat for footmen.[4]: 168 

Variations

A Peabody Victoria is a light, low Victoria popular in America.[4]: 128 

A 'double Victoria was also called a sociable.[6][5]: 109  Another double Victoria was called a Siamese Victoria.[5]: 288 

A Victoria sleigh is a Victoria body on sleigh runners.[4]: 180 

A Victoria-Hansom or Victoria cab is two-wheeled; a variant of the hansom cab with a folding hood.[5]: 146, 289 [4]: 168 

Historical context

The Victoria has its origins from the four-wheeled cabriolet and owner-driven phaeton carriages that were exported to continental Europe where they were known as Milords. New carriage designs elevated it to a royal carriage by removing the driver's seat to guide it instead with postilion riders, and adding a large curved dash in front and occasionally a rear rumble seat for grooms. When the carriage became more common, an ironwork-supported coachman's seat was installed in front of the dash (called a skeleton boot). In 1869, the carriages were imported into England where they became popular with the aristocracy and was named Victoria after Queen Victoria. The original Victoria has a skeleton boot seat. Later, the seat and dash were built into the bodywork and the carriage called a panel-boot Victoria.[3][4][5]

Modern usage

The elegant Victoria is still manufactured today for pleasure, tourist rides, the wedding industry, and historical reenactment. In the USA, the vis-à-vis is more popular for commercial rides, having seating for four.[7][8]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Victorias.
  1. ^ "Victoria: French carriage". Encyclopædia Britannica. 20 July 1998. Retrieved 7 July 2022. According to Britannica, it developed in France.
  2. ^ a b c "Carriage Tour: Victoria". Carriage Association of America. Archived from the original on 14 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b Berkebile, Donald H. (1978). Carriage Terminology: An Historical Dictionary. Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. pp. 64–5, 289–293, 386. ISBN 9781935623434. OL 4534466M.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Smith, D.J.M. (1988). A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles. J. A. Allen & Co. Ltd. p. 127, 168. ISBN 0851314686. OL 11597864M.
  5. ^ a b c d e Walrond, Sallie (1979). The Encyclopaedia of Driving. Country Life Books. pp. 288–289. ISBN 0600331822. OL 4175648M.
  6. ^ "Sociable or Double Victoria". Carriage Association of America. 12 July 2015.
  7. ^ "Horses and Carriages in the Cities". Equine Heritage Institute. 20 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Victoria". Coyaltix (Poland).
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