Design for Pony Phaeton, no. 3245a
1876
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercoclor wash and black ink
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 5/8 x 8 3/16 in. (14.3 x 20.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.865
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century coachbuilding with *Design for Pony Pha, no. 3245a* (1876), a precise drawing by the renowned New York firm Brewster & Co. This compact sheet, measuring just 5 5/8 x 8 3/16 inches, captures the refined lines of a pony phaeton—a lightweight, open carriage pulled by small ponies, favored for leisurely drives by women and the elite during the Gilded AgeBrewster & Co., established in 1810, was America's premier carriage maker, crafting bespoke vehicles for presidents, tycoons, and royalty. Created in 1876 amid booming industrial innovation, this design e...
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...