The History of the Carriage by Laszlo Tarr

The History of the Carriage by Laszlo Tarr, Arco Publishing 1969

Translated by Elizabeth Hoch, Originally printed in Hungary

This work by Laszlo Tarr is a very well researched, richly illustrated look at the early history of the carriage.  From the sledge to royal carriages they’re all covered.  One of the things that sets this book apart from others on the same subject is the dedication to include a wide variety of cultures.   Early American Indians and their single-animal slide-car receive just as much time as slide cars used by the Bashkirs.   Interesting antidotes about traffic regulations, finances, vehicle fortifications, and culture interpretations keep the text moving.

 Duke Olivarez, a Spanish aristocrat, reportedly talked so loudly while in his carriage that state secrets were overhead by his coachman, who repeated them.  This supposedly led to the use of a saddle-mule.   Conversely a Peter the Great political appointee was soundly rejected in part because he made his driver sit in his own carriage (in the driver’s box, instead of on a saddle-horse).  In 1792, a state-coach delivered to the Chinese Emperor on behalf of the British was refused because of the highly built driver’s box.  The idea of seating a man in front of (and above) the Emperor was not well received.

With over sixty prints and 314 illustrations the reader is taken on a virtual journey through the ages.  Whether looking at a child-king’s lamb pulled phaeton or a Hungarian ‘kosci’ the quality of the woodcuts and other illustrations is very high.  The vehicles used by peasants are explored with just as much detail as the luxury vehicles of the ruling classes.  In fact, many of the illustrations seem more powerful being in black and white than in the full color examples used in today’s books.

While copies of this book are difficult to find they are available in libraries and snippets of the text are available through Google Books.