Online Catalogue last updated 25th of June 2012
In the late 18th century, William Felton wrote what has become the most comprehensive and definitive work on design and construction of elegant carriages. As Ron Vineyard writes in his preface, "Felton's thoughts on what constituted beauty, strength, elegance, and style give us great insight into the level of skills required for such sophisticated work. His Treatise was written with the intended purpose of providing information necessary to the carriage owner. Various styles of vehicles and the available 'extras' are described in language understandable to the layman, along with helpful hints about what makes a strong, durable carriage. His statements on style, proportion and taste in carriages provided guidelines to the prospective buyer so that 'poor taste' could be avoided. In essence, Felton wrote a 'consumer's guide' for the purchase, maintenance, and repair of carriages." Felton also covered the skills of related trades such as coach-smithing, coach-painting, coach-trimming, and coach harness making and their interrelationship with coachmaking. His book has become a classic in the field; original copies are rare and valuable. This is a marvellous resource for anyone who wants to understand the design and construction of 18th century carriages and the features that evolved into the mass-produced vehicles of the late 19th century. This reprint combines Volumes I (1794) and II (1796) into one volume.
Code No. 007784, 720 pages, ISBN 1879335700, $107.00