“Proportion in carriages applies to both form and colour; as regards form, it regulates the sizes of the various parts so that the whole may harmonise, and dictates the adoption of contrivances for lessening the apparent size of those parts which would otherwise be unseemly. Thus, the total height which is necessary in the body for the comfort of the passengers is too great for the length which it is convenient to give it; therefore the total height is reduced, and to give sufficient leg room a false bottom is affixed by means of convex rockers, and which, being thrown back and painted black, cease to form a portion of the elevation; they are, like a foundation, out of sight, and thus the proportion of the front view (the side is called the front in coach-builder’s parlance) is preserved. In painting the body of a coach or chariot, it is customary to confine the ground colour to the lower panels and to paint the upper ones black, all except some stripes on the upper part of the doors. Now, inasmuch as colour in this case constitutes form by means of outline, and as that outline gives an irregular figure, it is a decidedly defective arrangement, making the upper part of the structure look heavier than the base. But the fact is, this defect has not been caused by intentional bad taste; it is a mere result of imitation, of following up old practices when the motive for them has ceased. It was formerly the custom to cover the roofs and upper panels with greasy leather in order to make them water-tight, the edges of the leather being fastened down with rows of brass nails. This leather was black, and thus the eye became gradually reconciled to an unsightly object from a consideration of utility. After it was discovered that undressed leather could be strained on and painted, it was still considered necessary to paint it black, as the surface was not smooth enough to show well with bright colours; and now that wooden panels are used to the upper as well as the lower part, long custom has made the black colour of the upper part appear indispensable.
“As by the present mode of constructing bodies various joints are left exposed to view, where leather unites with wood or two varieties of wood join in the same surface, it becomes necessary to resort to some means of covering them, and this is usually done by beading, as previously described. This is not altogether satisfactory as usually done, as it gives the side lines a broken and unfinished appearance. Where the beading is blacked it does not show much and scarcely matters, but the polished beading should go over the whole of the outline, as is done in some of the best carriages, or else it should not show at all. The elegance of a carriage depends on the perfection of the outlines, and anything which tends to disturb those outlines should be avoided.
“The handles of the doors are always made conspicuous, being of brass or plated metal. Necessity dictates this, as the constant action of the hand in opening or shutting the doors prohibits the use of paint on account of its rapid wear. The side of the carriage would look better without this prominent projection if it could be avoided, but as that is impracticable it is generally placed at the intersection of the central vertical and the central horizontal lines, where it interferes less with the outlines than it would in any other position.
“In the lining and trimming of a carriage, form, colour, and proportion are all requisites. All dress carriages have hammercloths or coloured drapery surrounding the driver’s seat. This forms a most prominent object, and if it does not harmonise with the rest of the vehicle the proportion of parts will be destroyed. The general form of the outline must be regulated by the lines of the ironwork or framework on which it is supported. There is great room for the display of taste in arranging that the colour of the hammercloth and lace, &c., shall harmonise or effectively contrast with the colour of the body. Yellow carriages are sometimes fitted with blue hammercloths and sometimes with drab ones, and the effect is equally good in both cases when well managed.”
Careful attention to the above points will enable the practical coach-builder to produce a vehicle as near artistic perfection as the present shapes will allow.
CHAPTER XV.
INVENTION.
English carriage constructors are certainly not an inventive race, if we allow that the names by which carriages are known are indicative of their origin. Coach is derived from the Hungarian kotsee, chariot is French, chaise is French, landau is German, cabriolet is French, and so on with many other names.
But mere invention—mere original conception—does not constitute excellence; and if foreigners may fairly lay claim to the greatest originality, English artists have the merit, perhaps still more important, of gradually improving the original designs, and so contriving all the details that, in their state of comparative excellence, the carriages can be scarcely recognised as constructions of the same principle as their models.
That English artists are not remarkable for the invention of new carriages is no proof of their want of talent; they have invention in abundance if there were sufficient motives to call it forth, and as a matter of fact invention is but poorly paid for. England possesses abundance of mind and matter, and there is no country in which a union of the two is just now more indispensable, and yet there is no country which throws greater obstacles in the way of the development of its minds. On an English patent lasting fourteen years the stamp duties amount to £175, whilst on an American patent lasting seventeen years the duty is only £7, or ¹⁄₂₅th of the English stamp duty. Under such a system no one will be surprised to find that on December 31st, 1879, there were only 15,755 patents in force in England, as against more than 200,000 in the United States. (These figures, of course, refer to patents of all kinds.) It has been calculated that about 10 per cent. of patentees manage to survive the seventh year of their patents, at which time the £100 duty is payable; that is to say, as far as their patents are concerned.
English artists and artisans are little more than merchants in their trades and methods of doing business; they cannot afford to lose time, and their principal object is to make as large an annual return as possible, and as large a profit as possible on that return. Continental men are more enthusiastic lovers of their arts and sciences. They aim at improvement from mere liking for it, and when they fail it is mostly from want of efficient workmen to further their designs. The demand with them is not sufficient to make every branch of their art a manufacture. In England, on the contrary, the manufacture of carriages is a work of many trades, and greater skill is produced in manipulation by the division of labour. If chance brings in a new fashion, competition is aroused, which does not subside until some degree of improvement or excellence be obtained.