Surrey (carriage)
A surrey is a doorless, four-wheeled carriage popular in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Usually two-seated and able to hold four passengers, surreys had a variety of tops that included a rigid, fringed canopy, parasol, and extension.[1] The seats were traditional, spindle-backed (often upholstered), bench seats. Before the advent of automobiles, these were horse-drawn carriages.
The name is short for "Surrey cart", named after Surrey in England, where they were first made.[2]
In popular culture
[edit]The American surrey was famously celebrated in the song "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" from the musical Oklahoma!.
Gallery
[edit]- Line-art representation of a horse-drawn surrey.
- 1890 Canadian open-top surrey once used in Vancouver.
- 1900 Spider Surrey, New York
- 1904 Knox Surrey, an early adaptation of the concept to the motorized era.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Surrey", Encyclopædia Britannica. (Retrieved 2014-02-03.)
- ^ "surrey | Etymology, origin and meaning of the name surrey by etymonline". www.etymonline.com.