Design for Brougham, no. 837
1850–70
Medium
Graphite, pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic
Dimensions
6 x 9 1/8 in. (15.2 x 23.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.1400
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century transportation with *Design for Brougham no. 837*, a meticulously crafted drawing by the renowned New York carriage makers Brewster & Co., dating from 1850–70. This compact work (6 x 9 1/8 in.) the blueprint for a brougham—a sleek, enclosed four-wheeled carriage favored by the urban elite for its refined style and privacy. Popularized in the mid-1800s, broughams symbolized status and sophistication before the automobile age, blending functionality with luxury. Brewster & Co., founded in 1810, was America's premier carriage builder, serving president...
About the Artist
Brewster & Co.
**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...