Design for Wagon, no. 856a
ca. 1860
Medium
Pen, black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic
Dimensions
sheet: 6 x 9 in. (15.2 x 22.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.2023
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 19th-century American carriage design with *Design for Wagon, no 856a* by Brewster & Co., 1860. Created by one of New York City's premier carriage manufacturers, this delicate drawing captures proposal for a luxury wagon—model 856a—tailored for the elite. At just 6 x 9 inches, it exemplifies the meticulous planning behind horse-drawn vehicles that symbolized status before the automobile era. Brewster & Co., founded in1810, crafted bespoke carriages for presidents, royalty, and tycoons, blending functionality with artistry. This design reflects the firm's peak du...
About the Artist
Brewster & Co.
**Brewster & Co.** Brewster & Company, a premier American coachbuilder renowned for its exquisite carriage designs, was established in 1810 in New Haven, Connecticut, by James Brewster (1788–1866). Born in 1788, Brewster trained as a wagonmaker's apprentice starting at age 16 in Northampton, Massachusetts, before relocating to New Haven, where he set up his workshop and quickly gained acclaim for...