Design for 4 seat Rockaway, no. 3933

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of 19th-century coachmaking with *Design for 4 Seataway, no. 3933* (1884), a delicate design drawing by Herman Stahmer for the renowned New York firm Brewster & Co. This sheet (6 1/2 x 8 15/16 in.) captures blueprint for a luxurious four-seat Rockaway carriage—a light, four-wheeled with a standing leather top, favored by affluent urbanites for its versatility in city and country travel. Brewster & Co., established in 1810, epitomized Gilded Age opulence, crafting bespoke carriages for America's elite, from Vanderbilts to presidents. This 1884 design reflects the firm's mastery during a transitional era, just before automobiles eclipsed horse-drawn transport. Rendered in precise pen and black ink for structural outlines, with watercolor and gouache adding vibrant hues and subtle shading, it showcases the technical artistry of industrial design—blending functionality with aesthetic refinement. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of William Brewster, 1923), this work offers a window into vanished craftsmanship, highlighting how such drawings guided skilled artisans in creating status symbols of their time. A testament to American ingenuity and luxury!

About the Artist

Brewster & Co.|Herman Stahmer · 1837–present

**Brewster & Co.** Brewster & Company, a premier American coachbuilder renowned for its exquisite carriage designs, was established in 1810 in New Haven, Connecticut, by James Brewster (1788–1866). Born in 1788, Brewster trained as a wagonmaker's apprentice starting at age 16 in Northampton, Massachusetts, before relocating to New Haven, where he set up his workshop and quickly gained acclaim for...