LANDAU
Body painted dark green, black trim with straw color striping. Trimmed in dark green morocco leather and blue broadcloth.
The landau originated in the German town of that name and was used from mid-18th century as a posting (traveling) or dress vehicle. About 1850, coachbuilders began to use the lighter elliptic springs on the landau and the whole vehicle became more miniature in size. The landau combined the virtues of both an open and close carriage, as the folding heads could be dropped and the windows lowered.
Landaus with curved body lines were known as Sefton landaus and those with angular lines as in this example were called Shelburne landaus after the Earl of Shelburne who had the first of this pattern built to his order.
This carriage was built by the famous Brewster and Company and belonged to the Theodore Havemeyer family.
Gift of Mr. Henry O. Havemeyer, Mahwah, New Jersey.
