QEII has a shed full.
Hmm, check out the Celle collection of carriages. Some of them are quiet old, not sure how old and the rulers of the time were pretty much from Hanover 
A lot of the carriages used in those films came from here; http://www.workingcarriages.com/
This site has illustrations;
http://georgiantimes.homestead.com/files/horse_and_carriage/carriages.html
I’ve really enjoyed these links everyone’s posted.
The Musée de la Voiture in France boasts an astonishing collection of carriages of all sorts, not to mention other types of vehicles. Their website is
http://www.musee-chateau-compiegne.fr/pages/page_id18928_u1l2.htm
Unfortunately the website only shows a few representative examples of the hundreds of vehicles they preserve, but you can see a few by clicking on “voitures hippomobiles.”
If you should be going to Paris, the trip an hour or so north to Compiègne to see the museum is well worth your while, and Compiègne is a very horsey part of France anyway.
19th-c Brit-Lit that needs to be filmed: I’ve never understood why no one’s yet attempted to bring Robert Surtees to the screen. His great comic character, the Cockney grocer / weekend MFH John Jorrocks, is one for the ages. And, obviously, horses and carriages galore!
J. Turner, your paper is obviously going to be fun to research. Are you a professor?
ive seen quite a few here in CT and new england all the time. Most are now lawn ornaments 
I’ve corrected the link for you.
I believed when you came back to post that you very specifically wanted to source reference material from that time and specifically about English carriages? I believe that because of all the social correctness and banal etiquette in Jane Austin that it will be reference material about the social status to be determined by carriages that you’re wanting and needing.
Is that right???
I’m asking because I note that others are telling you about new books and where you might find carriages in the US or elsewhere.
So I’m now wondering if I’ve misunderstood something.
The posting above me refers to the web site for a friend of mine. Caroline has quite a nice collection of carriages and it’s open to the public but there’s other places too and I’m not convinced that’s what you wanted anyway??? Particularly as it’s in Derbyshire so not exactly handy to you. As I said earlier and via our email communication, I have quite a few carriages in that ilk myself. But it’s not a carriage you want is it???
Jim Binns has some books on carriages but if you’re very specific about what you’re looking for then in all likelihood I’m going to have it and can provide you with a quote. Or else if you know the details of a specific publication you could order it from a library and save yourself any expense. Appreciate that the books are reference books on carriages and whilst they also are relevent in terms of social history, I think you’ll find yourself in possession of something that only has limited use when it comes to doing a paper on the fictional character Mr Darcy.
Some other reference books that are specifically about carriages that I also like and own are:
The English Carriage by Hugh McCausland - a ‘new’ book - published in 1948 but using a lot of old reference material and illustrations going back to 1790
Practical Carriage Building - Compiled by MT Richardson of New York 1892 but it has been republished
Old Sporting Characters and Occasions from Sporting and Road History - Also by Hugh McCausland published 1948. Again drawing on old reference material: books, stories, diary extracts etc.
I know I’ve told you that though I’ve done period film work, I’m actually totally disinterested in Jane Austin and so I don’t actually know what Mr Darcy had? Anyway if you tell me that and what sort of reference you’re looking for I’ll see if I can find something appropriate for you.
I totally forgot how apropriate this years CAA conference in Williamsburg is to this topic
Travel and Transport by Horsedrawn Vehicles
Jan 27-30
Topics cover travel from many countries with noted speakers
Richard James on the Trafalgar Dispatch
William Bushnong on Presidential travel and the Whitehouse Stables
Merri Ferrell on the NY Coaching Club
Adres Furger on Swiss Travel
Mar Stolk on Restoration
Ken Wheeling on the Abbott and Downing Coaches
Astrid Tyden-Jordan on Carriages along the Baltic (Sweden)
Deborah Trantor - Coaching Down Under/Freeman Cobb
Monica Kurzel-Runtscheiner The Princes of Thurn and Taxis
Nicolaas Conlin - Outward Show: the Turnout as a Means of Communication
Micheal Sanborn -Phineas Banning and the So Cal Stagecoach Empire
John Ford on John Palmer and the Mail Coach Revolution
Richard Nicoll on18th Cent Carriages in North America
and finishing up with a visit to the Williamsburg Stables and Carriage Collection
The Saturday Dinner Talk is by Lt Gen Mertil Mellin on His Majesty’s Ceremonial: Royal Travel in the 21st Century
We are looking forward to the long weekend away. CAA always does up these conferences well and its a great set of talks
Anyone else going to be there???
I just googled Sir John Lade. THAT is a story that should be made into a movie, especially with his scandalous wife, the former prostitute and expert horsewoman.
Good books; http://www.amazon.com/Carriages-Coaches-Their-History-Evolution/dp/1110318693
http://openlibrary.org/b/OL4431686M/Carriages_at_eight
Totally off subjet
lolalola is right, fascinating story of Sir John Lade and his wife, Letitia. Here is a great portrait of her by Stubbs done for George IV
Thanks for the site, found the picture of the Prince of Wales’ (later George the IV) High Perch Phaeton. This vehicle seems to come up in romance books, as a carriage for the better drivers. Not the best view of vehicle, but gives an idea of build. Seat up some 6ft in the air, with unstable sitting because of the high springing. I can just see why it would have been a challenge! I think the Prince set some record for speed between two towns driving it. Not sure how many changes of horse along the way.
http://www.abcgallery.com/S/stubbs/stubbs33.html
Sorry about the book metioned earlier Thomas. For some reason I thought Jane Eyre was in the Victorian time period. Carriages at Eight would be way after Jane’s writing time settings, which were before Victoria was even born.
Never did read any of her stuff except short pieces lifted out for class.
[QUOTE=FatDinah;4618428]
Totally off subjet
lolalola is right, fascinating story of Sir John Lade and his wife, Letitia. Here is a great portrait of her by Stubbs done for George IV
I LOVE that picture of the blacks with the high perch Phaeton
We went to the Stubbs Exhibit when it was in Baltimore and that picture was amazing. You could almost feel the leather of the harness, it was so realistically done
and I just luv the size of the red rosettes
Green with envy here!! I LOVE Stubbs pictures.
[QUOTE=Drive NJ;4618755]
I LOVE that picture of the blacks with the high perch Phaeton
We went to the Stubbs Exhibit when it was in Baltimore and that picture was amazing. You could almost feel the leather of the harness, it was so realistically done
and I just luv the size of the red rosettes[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Soapey Sponge;4616005]
I’ve really enjoyed these links everyone’s posted.
The Musée de la Voiture in France boasts an astonishing collection of carriages of all sorts, not to mention other types of vehicles. Their website is
http://www.musee-chateau-compiegne.fr/pages/page_id18928_u1l2.htm
Unfortunately the website only shows a few representative examples of the hundreds of vehicles they preserve, but you can see a few by clicking on “voitures hippomobiles.”
If you should be going to Paris, the trip an hour or so north to Compiègne to see the museum is well worth your while, and Compiègne is a very horsey part of France anyway.
19th-c Brit-Lit that needs to be filmed: I’ve never understood why no one’s yet attempted to bring Robert Surtees to the screen. His great comic character, the Cockney grocer / weekend MFH John Jorrocks, is one for the ages. And, obviously, horses and carriages galore!
J. Turner, your paper is obviously going to be fun to research. Are you a professor?[/QUOTE]
No, I"m not a professor, but I am a teacher (not working now). I’m writing the paper to submit for a writing sample for my grad school application. I have an MA in Ed but I do want to teach college so I need my MA in Lit/English. Why don’t I have a long paper to submit? Because all my undergrad papers were typed! And I don’t have copies of any long ones. I also avoided those classes like the plague. You need a 15-page+ paper to submit. So I thought I’d write one on something I’ve already read and love (all of Austen) and do and love (horses).
Thank you to everyone. And just look the other way when I go to England to pilfer Thomas’s library.
[QUOTE=goodhors;4618734]
Sorry about the book metioned earlier Thomas. For some reason I thought Jane Eyre was in the Victorian time period. Carriages at Eight would be way after Jane’s writing time settings, which were before Victoria was even born.
Never did read any of her stuff except short pieces lifted out for class.[/QUOTE]
I think you’re getting your Janes mixed up. Jane Eyre - book. Jane Austen - boring novelist (according to Thomas). Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre and she was early Victorian. Jane Austen wrote from about 1795 (late Georgian) to 1820 (end of the Regency). I used to confuse them so I’m not trying to be pedantic. I did manage to get Carriages at 8 from the library. There is some info that is relevant in there, luckily. A good start.
[QUOTE=Drive NJ;4616217]
I totally forgot how apropriate this years CAA conference in Williamsburg is to this topic
Travel and Transport by Horsedrawn Vehicles
Jan 27-30
Topics cover travel from many countries with noted speakers
Richard James on the Trafalgar Dispatch
William Bushnong on Presidential travel and the Whitehouse Stables
Merri Ferrell on the NY Coaching Club
Adres Furger on Swiss Travel
Mar Stolk on Restoration
Ken Wheeling on the Abbott and Downing Coaches
Astrid Tyden-Jordan on Carriages along the Baltic (Sweden)
Deborah Trantor - Coaching Down Under/Freeman Cobb
Monica Kurzel-Runtscheiner The Princes of Thurn and Taxis
Nicolaas Conlin - Outward Show: the Turnout as a Means of Communication
Micheal Sanborn -Phineas Banning and the So Cal Stagecoach Empire
John Ford on John Palmer and the Mail Coach Revolution
Richard Nicoll on18th Cent Carriages in North America
and finishing up with a visit to the Williamsburg Stables and Carriage Collection
The Saturday Dinner Talk is by Lt Gen Mertil Mellin on His Majesty’s Ceremonial: Royal Travel in the 21st Century
We are looking forward to the long weekend away. CAA always does up these conferences well and its a great set of talks
Anyone else going to be there???[/QUOTE]
Can someone take notes and send me any handouts? I wish I could go, but no chance.
So what carriages in particular are you wanting details of? Tell me and I’ll try to find you something of social interest or relevant.
A lot of my books are originals and I’ve even got the original drawing and build specifications and prices for some vehicles too.
You cant come and pilfer them though. We’ve a mass of dogs. No they’re not fierce … they’re golden retrievers!!! So you’ll get tripped up and licked to death fighting your way through them bringing you slippers and cushions etc!
[QUOTE=J. Turner;4619635]
I think you’re getting your Janes mixed up. Jane Eyre - book. Jane Austen - boring novelist (according to Thomas). Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre and she was early Victorian. Jane Austen wrote from about 1795 (late Georgian) to 1820 (end of the Regency). I used to confuse them so I’m not trying to be pedantic. I did manage to get Carriages at 8 from the library. There is some info that is relevant in there, luckily. A good start.[/QUOTE]
According to my wife…:
Though both were the daughters of church ministers they were VERY different.
Jane Austin - sexually and socially repressed and boring!
Charlotte Bronte - From my neck of the woods. A Yorkshire lass. Courageous and independent and a liberal thinker.
Perhaps best summed up by the following:
It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot…Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings….knitting stockings….playing on the piano….It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.-
I wanted to thank all of you for this trot through history. a fascinating read! Good luck and good fun with your paper JT.
More lovely paintings from the Stubbs gallery Web site
http://www.abcgallery.com/S/stubbs/stubbs27.html
http://www.abcgallery.com/S/stubbs/stubbs28.html
Not sure what carriage type this is:
http://www.abcgallery.com/S/stubbs/stubbs14.html
Yep, messed those two up. Amazing what your hands will type with no thought engaged! Thanks for keeping me straight. Need to reread before posting! Slinking away from posting anything with either authors’ names now.
Glad the book was a bit of help.
[QUOTE=J. Turner;4619635]
I think you’re getting your Janes mixed up. Jane Eyre - book. Jane Austen - boring novelist (according to Thomas). Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre and she was early Victorian. Jane Austen wrote from about 1795 (late Georgian) to 1820 (end of the Regency). I used to confuse them so I’m not trying to be pedantic. I did manage to get Carriages at 8 from the library. There is some info that is relevant in there, luckily. A good start.[/QUOTE]
Looking at the Stubbs carriage links, one after the other, it caught my eye, that there were no vertical dashboards on the old carriages. Even toeboard was rather short, though poles are LONG. Interesting to wonder whether dash came along as a “sensitivity” item to avoid looking at horse rumps. Or were practical additions to avoid splashing, or just to add a better line to vehicle design.
