Design for Wagon, no. 706a
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache
Dimensions
sheet: 6 x 8 13/16 in. (15.2 x 22.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.2001
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of 19th American coachbuilding with *Design for Wagon, no 706a*, a delicate preparatory drawing from Brewster & Co., with design attributed to Channing Britton. Created 1860, this sheet (6 x 8 13/16 in.) the essence of luxury transport on the cusp of the Civil War era, when horse-drawn wagons symbolized status and ingenuity for the elite. Brewster & Co., New York's premier carriage makers since 1810, crafted vehicles for presidents, tycoons, and royalty, blending artistry with engineering precision. This cataloged design (no. 706a) exemplifies their meticulous proc...
About the Artist
Brewster & Co.|Channing Britton
**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...