Extension Top Phaeton #438
ca. 1865
Medium
pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache
Dimensions
sheet: 6 3/16 x 9 15/16 in. (15.7 x 25.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.1969
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century carriage design with *Extension Top Phaeton438*, a exquisite drawing by the renowned New York firm Brewster & Co., circa 1865. This detailed rendering captures a light, four-wheeled phaeton—a popular open carriage favored by the American elite for its speed and style. The "extension top" feature allowed for a retractable roof, blending practicality with luxury during the Gilded Age's horse-drawn heyday. Brewster & Co., established in 1810, was America's premier carriage maker, crafting bespoke vehicles for presidents, tycoons, and royalty. This artw...
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...