Design for Rumble Sleigh, no. 3545
1879
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 3/4 x 9 1/4 in. (17.1 x 23.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.1275
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century American coachmaking with *Design for Rumble S, no. 3545* by Brewster & Co., a New York firm renowned for crafting luxury carriages and sleighs for the elite Created in 1879, this delicate drawing depicts a "rumble sleigh"— stylish winter vehicle with a rear "rumble" for extra passengers, perfect for snowy urban jaunts or countryside outings. At just 6 3/4 x 9 1/4 inches, it's a blueprint showcasing the firm's meticulous design process for bespoke transport. Brewster & Co., established in 1810, epitomized Gilded Age opulence, outfitting presidents l...
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...