Surrey (carriage)

A surrey is a doorless, four-wheeled carriage popular in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Usually two-seated and holding for four passengers, surreys had a variety of tops that included a rigid, fringed canopy, parasol, and extension.[1] The seats were traditional, spindle-backed (often upholstered), bench seats. Before the advent of automobiles, these were horse-drawn carriages.

A 1909 Studebaker surrey on display at the Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Center and Museum in August 2015

The name is short for "Surrey cart", named after Surrey in England, where they were first made.[2]

The American surrey was famously celebrated in the song "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" from the musical Oklahoma!.

  • Line-art representation of a horse-drawn surrey.
  • 1890 Canadian open-top surrey once used in Vancouver.
  • 1900 Spider Surrey, New York
  • 1904 Knox Surrey, an early adaptation of the concept to the motorized era.

See also

References
  1. "Surrey", Encyclopædia Britannica. (Retrieved 2014-02-03.)
  2. "Etymonline".
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