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Hansom cab

January 01, 1970

"Hansom" redirects here. For the surname, see Hansom (surname).

The hansom cab is a kind of horse-drawn carriage designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York.[1]: 30  The vehicle was developed and tested by Hansom in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England.[2] Originally called the Hansom safety cab, it was designed to combine speed with safety, with a low centre of gravity for safe cornering. Hansom's original design was modified by John Chapman and several others to improve its practicability, but retained Hansom's name.[3][4]

Hansom cab and driver in the 2004 movie Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking, set in 1903 London
Hansom cab, London, 1904
London Cabmen, 1877

Cab is a shortening of cabriolet, reflecting the design of the carriage. It replaced the hackney carriage as a vehicle for hire; with the introduction of clockwork mechanical taximeters to measure fares, the name became taxicab.

Hansom cabs enjoyed immense popularity as they were fast, light enough to be pulled by a single horse (making the journey cheaper than travelling in a larger four-wheel coach) and were agile enough to steer around horse-drawn vehicles in the notorious traffic jams of nineteenth-century London. There were up to 7500 hansom cabs in use at the height of their popularity and they quickly spread to other cities in the United Kingdom (including Ireland), as well as continental European cities, particularly Paris, Berlin, and St Petersburg. The cab was introduced to other British Empire cities and to the United States during the late 19th century, being most commonly used in New York City.

Design edit

 
Hansom cab, showing low easy entry, trap door on top, and folding doors to protect passengers from weather and mud

The cab, a type of fly, sat two passengers (three if they squeezed in) and a driver who sat on a sprung seat behind the vehicle. The passengers could give their instructions to the driver through a trap door near the rear of the roof. They could pay the driver through the hatch, and he would then operate a lever to release the doors so that they could alight. In some cabs, the driver could operate a device that balanced the cab and reduced strain on the horse. The passengers were protected from the elements by the cab and by folding wooden doors that enclosed their feet and legs and thus protected their clothes from splashing mud. Later versions also had an up-and-over glass window above the doors to complete the enclosure of the passengers. Additionally, a curved fender mounted forward of the doors protected passengers from the stones thrown up by the hooves of the horse.

Its main features were low-slung bodywork, high wheels and a rearward driving seat — the latter not at first evident. The purpose of its design was to combine speed with safety, having a low centre of gravity, essential for safe cornering and overtaking. Wheels were originally 7'6" in diameter, later becoming much smaller although still large in proportion. The dashboard was curved at the rear of the shafts, bringing the hind-quarters of the horse fairly near the vehicle, for better control. There would be room for two passengers facing forward, on a single cross-seat, their legs protected by knee flaps.[1]: 30 

Other vehicles similar to the Hansom cab include the American light trade cart for deliveries such as bread, the bow-fronted hansom which was fully enclosed and entered through a side door, and the Brougham Hansom which was entered from the rear and driven from a seat on the fore-part of the roof.[1]: 5, 23, 31 

Hansom Cab Company edit

 
New York City, 1896

The Hansom Cab Company was established in May 1869 to provide transportation in New York City and Brooklyn. The business was located at 133 Water Street, Brooklyn; Duncan, Sherman & Company handled the books of subscription (initial offers of stock to capitalize a new company). The enterprise was organized by Ed W. Brandon who became its president. Two orders for a fleet of cabs were sent to carriage makers in New York City. Fares were to be charged either by distance or time: $0.30 for a single person per mile, or portion thereof, and $0.40 for two people. By time, $0.75 for one person for an hour or portion thereof, $1.00 for two persons.[5]

United Kingdom edit

 
London, 1899

Two English peers who owned cab companies, Lord Shrewsbury and Lord Lonsdale, raised the standards of all Hansom cabs in London when they purchased upgraded cabs made by Forder, complete with brass fittings, quiet-running rubber tires, and luxuriously fitted interiors. Their horses were thoroughbreds in polished harnesses.[6] These flashier Hansoms were sometimes referred to as "Gondolas of London" or "gondolas of the streets".[6][1]: 87 

The cabs were widely used in the United Kingdom until 1908 when Taximeter Cars (petrol cabs) started to be introduced and were rapidly accepted; by the early 1920s horse-drawn cabs had largely been superseded by motor vehicles. The last licence for a horse-drawn cab in London was relinquished in 1947.[7]

Museums edit

A restored hansom cab once owned by Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt is on display at the Remington Carriage Museum[8] in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. There is another surviving example, owned and operated by the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London; in common with other horse-drawn vehicles it is not permitted to enter any of the Royal Parks.[9] Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Leicestershire also have a restored Hansom cab.

In popular culture edit

 
Air cabs - hansom cabs of the (then) future, depicted in En L'An 2000 illustrated by Jean-Marc Côté

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Smith, D.J.M. (1988). A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles. ISBN 0851314686. OL 11597864M.
  2. ^ "The Hansom Cab was designed, patented and tested in Hinckley". Hinckley Past & Present.
  3. ^ Harris, Penelope (2010). The Architectural Achievement of Joseph Aloysius Hansom (1803-1882), Designer of the Hansom Cab, Birmingham Town Hall, and Churches of the Catholic Revival. Edwin Mellen Press. pp. 86–91, 93. ISBN 9780773438514. OL 24585797M.
  4. ^ "The life of Joseph Aloysius Hansom (1803-1882)". Hinckley Past & Present.
  5. ^ "The Hansom Cab Company". New York Times. May 27, 1869. Page 5, columns 5–6. – via Newspaperarchive.com.
  6. ^ a b Walrond, Sallie (1992). Looking at Carriages. pp. 196–198. ISBN 0720712823. OL 3828623M.
  7. ^ Drozdz, Gregory (1990). Cab and Coach. p. 26. OCLC 841903541.
  8. ^ . Remingtoncarriagemuseum.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  9. ^ . Sherlock Holmes Museum. Archived from the original on March 6, 2008.
  10. ^ Hume, Fergus. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. OL 21631914M – via Project Gutenberg.

Further reading edit

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hansom cabs.
  • National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
  • . Sherlock Holmes International Society. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020.
  • Sherlock Peoria.
  • King, Laurie R. (1995). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2012.Official website for Laurie R. King; features a cab-driving scene.
  • Joseph Aloysius Hansom (History of York)

January 01, 1970
hansom, hansom, redirects, here, surname, hansom, surname, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, new. Hansom redirects here For the surname see Hansom surname This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Hansom cab news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2010 Learn how and when to remove this message The hansom cab is a kind of horse drawn carriage designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom an architect from York 1 30 The vehicle was developed and tested by Hansom in Hinckley Leicestershire England 2 Originally called the Hansom safety cab it was designed to combine speed with safety with a low centre of gravity for safe cornering Hansom s original design was modified by John Chapman and several others to improve its practicability but retained Hansom s name 3 4 Hansom cab and driver in the 2004 movie Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking set in 1903 London Hansom cab London 1904 London Cabmen 1877 Cab is a shortening of cabriolet reflecting the design of the carriage It replaced the hackney carriage as a vehicle for hire with the introduction of clockwork mechanical taximeters to measure fares the name became taxicab Hansom cabs enjoyed immense popularity as they were fast light enough to be pulled by a single horse making the journey cheaper than travelling in a larger four wheel coach and were agile enough to steer around horse drawn vehicles in the notorious traffic jams of nineteenth century London There were up to 7500 hansom cabs in use at the height of their popularity and they quickly spread to other cities in the United Kingdom including Ireland as well as continental European cities particularly Paris Berlin and St Petersburg The cab was introduced to other British Empire cities and to the United States during the late 19th century being most commonly used in New York City Contents 1 Design 2 Hansom Cab Company 3 United Kingdom 4 Museums 5 In popular culture 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksDesign edit nbsp Hansom cab showing low easy entry trap door on top and folding doors to protect passengers from weather and mud The cab a type of fly sat two passengers three if they squeezed in and a driver who sat on a sprung seat behind the vehicle The passengers could give their instructions to the driver through a trap door near the rear of the roof They could pay the driver through the hatch and he would then operate a lever to release the doors so that they could alight In some cabs the driver could operate a device that balanced the cab and reduced strain on the horse The passengers were protected from the elements by the cab and by folding wooden doors that enclosed their feet and legs and thus protected their clothes from splashing mud Later versions also had an up and over glass window above the doors to complete the enclosure of the passengers Additionally a curved fender mounted forward of the doors protected passengers from the stones thrown up by the hooves of the horse Its main features were low slung bodywork high wheels and a rearward driving seat the latter not at first evident The purpose of its design was to combine speed with safety having a low centre of gravity essential for safe cornering and overtaking Wheels were originally 7 6 in diameter later becoming much smaller although still large in proportion The dashboard was curved at the rear of the shafts bringing the hind quarters of the horse fairly near the vehicle for better control There would be room for two passengers facing forward on a single cross seat their legs protected by knee flaps 1 30 Other vehicles similar to the Hansom cab include the American light trade cart for deliveries such as bread the bow fronted hansom which was fully enclosed and entered through a side door and the Brougham Hansom which was entered from the rear and driven from a seat on the fore part of the roof 1 5 23 31 Hansom Cab Company edit nbsp New York City 1896 The Hansom Cab Company was established in May 1869 to provide transportation in New York City and Brooklyn The business was located at 133 Water Street Brooklyn Duncan Sherman amp Company handled the books of subscription initial offers of stock to capitalize a new company The enterprise was organized by Ed W Brandon who became its president Two orders for a fleet of cabs were sent to carriage makers in New York City Fares were to be charged either by distance or time 0 30 for a single person per mile or portion thereof and 0 40 for two people By time 0 75 for one person for an hour or portion thereof 1 00 for two persons 5 United Kingdom edit nbsp London 1899 Two English peers who owned cab companies Lord Shrewsbury and Lord Lonsdale raised the standards of all Hansom cabs in London when they purchased upgraded cabs made by Forder complete with brass fittings quiet running rubber tires and luxuriously fitted interiors Their horses were thoroughbreds in polished harnesses 6 These flashier Hansoms were sometimes referred to as Gondolas of London or gondolas of the streets 6 1 87 The cabs were widely used in the United Kingdom until 1908 when Taximeter Cars petrol cabs started to be introduced and were rapidly accepted by the early 1920s horse drawn cabs had largely been superseded by motor vehicles The last licence for a horse drawn cab in London was relinquished in 1947 7 Museums editA restored hansom cab once owned by Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt is on display at the Remington Carriage Museum 8 in Cardston Alberta Canada There is another surviving example owned and operated by the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London in common with other horse drawn vehicles it is not permitted to enter any of the Royal Parks 9 Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Leicestershire also have a restored Hansom cab In popular culture edit nbsp Air cabs hansom cabs of the then future depicted in En L An 2000 illustrated by Jean Marc Cote In Black Beauty by Anna Sewell the central section has an evocative account of life as a Hansom cab driver in Victorian London even though it is written from the point of view of the horse Sir Arthur Conan Doyle s Sherlock Holmes stories make frequent mention of hansom cabs The Adventure of the Hansom Cab is the third and final story in Robert Louis Stevenson s The Suicide Club cycle 1878 Retired British soldier Lieutenant Brackenbury Rich is beckoned into the back of an elegantly appointed hansom by a mysterious cabman who whisks him off to a party In 1886 Fergus Hume published his novel The Mystery of a Hansom Cab set in post Gold Rush era Melbourne Australia The story was filmed in Australia in 1911 under the same title A movie was made for TV in 2012 10 The 1889 film Leisurely Pedestrians Open Topped Buses and Hansom Cabs with Trotting Horses photographed by William Friese Greene shows Londoners walking along Apsley Gate Hyde Park with horse drawn conveyances passing by The book Farewell Victoria 1933 by T H White has the protagonist ending his days as a hansom cab operator in its fading years which is part of the sustained metaphor brought out in the title The game Assassin s Creed Syndicate set in Victorian London features Hansoms as a type of drivable carriage See also editCabmen s Shelter FundReferences edit a b c d Smith D J M 1988 A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles ISBN 0851314686 OL 11597864M The Hansom Cab was designed patented and tested in Hinckley Hinckley Past amp Present Harris Penelope 2010 The Architectural Achievement of Joseph Aloysius Hansom 1803 1882 Designer of the Hansom Cab Birmingham Town Hall and Churches of the Catholic Revival Edwin Mellen Press pp 86 91 93 ISBN 9780773438514 OL 24585797M The life of Joseph Aloysius Hansom 1803 1882 Hinckley Past amp Present The Hansom Cab Company New York Times May 27 1869 Page 5 columns 5 6 via Newspaperarchive com a b Walrond Sallie 1992 Looking at Carriages pp 196 198 ISBN 0720712823 OL 3828623M Drozdz Gregory 1990 Cab and Coach p 26 OCLC 841903541 Remington Carriage Museum website Remingtoncarriagemuseum com Archived from the original on January 28 2010 Retrieved August 23 2014 Correspondence between the Sherlock Holmes Museum and James Purnell MP The Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Sherlock Holmes Museum Archived from the original on March 6 2008 Hume Fergus The Mystery of a Hansom Cab OL 21631914M via Project Gutenberg Further reading editBerkebile Donald H 1979 Carriage Terminology An Historical Dictionary ISBN 0874741661 Livery Driven Vehicles Coson Carriage Tour Carriage Association of America External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hansom cabs America on the Move Hansom Cab National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution The Hansom Cab of the Sherlock Holmes Museum London Sherlock Holmes International Society Archived from the original on June 30 2020 Hansom Cabs Sherlock Peoria King Laurie R 1995 A Monstrous Regiment of Women excerpt PDF Archived from the original PDF on April 24 2013 Retrieved September 14 2012 Official website for Laurie R King features a cab driving scene Joseph Aloysius Hansom History of York Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hansom cab amp oldid 1196543646, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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