|
 Frequently Asked Q
uestions
1.
Who made my vehicle? There is no way of knowing
what company manufactured a vehicle if it does not have a
makers mark on it. Such as name tag, name on the oil cap,
paper label under the seat cushion, name of carriage manufacture
stamped on the axle spindle other then the axle maker. There
were over 7000 carriage and wagon makers by the 1900 and because
many companies bought parts from specialized makers, it is
possible that more than one company could have made a similar
vehicle.
2.
I want to know more about the company that made my vehicle?
The best place to start is to make a list of the libraries
and historical societies in the area of were your vehicle
was made from the library directory and museum directory at
your local library. Send a self address stamped enveloped
asking them for information, sometimes they are not able to
tell you anymore than when they were listed in the city directories.
For the serious researcher: Once you have established the
dates when the company was in business you can search through
local newspapers of the area for that time period. Also available
on microfilm is the trade journals the Carriage Monthly and
Hub published for the carriage trade from about 1855 to 1915.
Usually a reel contains a year, some years require two reels.
You can than take this microfilm to your local library that
has a microfilm reader if you do not have a microfilm reader.
This
microfilm is available from the Library of Congress, Photo
duplication Services, 101 Independence Avenue South East,
Washington, DC 20540-4574 phone 202-707-372 fax 202-707-1771.
$49.00 a reel.
The
Carriage Museum of America maintains a clippings file for
about 30 manufactures and we can send copies out for $12.00
for members and $15.00 for non-members.
3.
What is my vehicle worth? Contact Martin
Auctioneers, 12 North Railroad Avenue, Post Office Box
99, New Holland, PA 17557 phone 717-354-6671. They charge
$35.00 a vehicle to appraise it.
4.
Questions about Sleighs? We do not answer individual
questions about sleighs. We have put most of what we know
about sleighs in our book, Horse-Drawn Sleighs. With one drawing
of a sleigh in our book Working Drawings of Horse-Drawn Vehicles.
Sleighs in color are in the book Horse-Drawn Vehicles: Colored
Plates from the Hub November 1882-January 1893.
5.
What color do I paint my vehicle? For historical
accurate information see our book Horse-Drawn Vehicles: Colored
Plates from the Hub November 1882-January 1893.
6.
Drawings for building a stagecoach and Conestoga wagon?
Contact the Smithsonian
Institution, Division of Transportation, Room 5010 MRC
628, National Museum of American History, Washington, DC 20560,
or Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland,
OR 97205 (phone: 503-306-5233). For most other drawings see
our book Working Drawings
of Horse-Drawn Vehicles. Other sources of plans
of Wild Horse Books and Art, 255 Boulder Road, Deer Lodge,
Montana 59722 (phone: 406-846-3686).Resources for model builders:
Guild of Model Wheelwrights, Benison House, 9 Henley Rise,
Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA44AW (phone: 44-1749-344263) website
www.guildofmodelwheelwrights.org.
7.
Questions and books about driving and harness?
Events, tours, learning weekend, annual carriage conference,
products & services. Contact the Carriage
Association of America, 3915 Jay Trump Rd, Lexington,
Kentucky 40511 phone 859-231-0971.
8.
I want to restore my vehicle? As a museum we recommend
vehicles in original condition should be left original. Our
book Conservation and Restoration of Horse-Drawn Vehicles
is currently the most comprehensive book on the subject.
|
