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Studebaker Bros. Mfg. Co.
South Bend, Indiana
Ccirca 1900
Type:
A “sociable” is an alternative name for a carriage of this
type, which has two facing seats placed across the carriage for passengers.
It is an open carriage that first appeared in England in the 18th century.
Some were made with a folding half-top, and in the second half of the
19th century, the folding canopy or umbrella top was produced and began
to be used on the vis-à-vis and other carriages in America.
Provenance:
This carriage formerly belonged to the Lord Mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda,
and was one of several that were sent to New York for sale for the benefit
of New York charities, as referred to in the description of the game
cart trap. This vehicle has been used on several occasions to transport
dignitaries, most recently the King and Queen of Sweden on their visit
to Bridgeton, New Jersey.
Builder:
The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company was started about 1850
in South Bend, Indiana, by Clement Studebaker, one of five sons of John
Studebaker, a blacksmith and wheelwright in Ashland, Ohio. Eventually,
all five brothers formed a partnership as builders of farm vehicles
and small carriages. In 1868 the firm was said to have produced 3,955
wagons. The firm exhibited at the Centennial Exposition in 1876, and
at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, Studebaker had
a large exhibit of carriages. They opened branches in many American
cities and appointed selling agents in several countries overseas. They
ceased making horse-drawn vehicles in 1919, and became automobile builders
until the company was closed down in the 1980s.
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