Victoria (carriage)

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.

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.

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.

Variations

A Peabody Victoria is a light, low Victoria popular in America.

A 'double Victoria was also called a sociable. Another double Victoria was called a Siamese Victoria.

A Victoria sleigh is a Victoria body on sleigh runners.

A Victoria-Hansom or Victoria cab is two-wheeled; a variant of the hansom cab with a folding hood.

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.

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.

References

References

1. Berkebile, Donald H.. (1978). "Carriage Terminology: An Historical Dictionary". Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press.
2. (20 July 1998). "Victoria: French carriage".
3. (2015-07-12). "Sociable or Double Victoria".
4. "Victoria".
5. Smith, D.J.M.. (1988). "A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles". J. A. Allen & Co. Ltd..
6. "Carriage Tour: Victoria". [[Carriage Association of America]].
7. Walrond, Sallie. (1979). "The Encyclopaedia of Driving". Country Life Books.