History of Strollers
Curious about the history of strollers? Well, if you push one around day in and day out, you will get a kick out of this unique story.
The first carriage that was ever conceived was created at the wish and command of the Duke of Devonshire. This Duke wanted a way to transport his son around town, so he contracted a man by the name of William Kent. Kent was a garden architect that worked in England, though he dabbled a bit in inventions now and then. Not wanting to disappoint the Duke, Kent worked well into each night for two months until he came up with the first ever carriage. The history of strollers really begins to take off after Kent’s first model.
Once all of England’s aristocrats saw the fancy new carriage that the Duke began pushing around, they instantly wanted one too. Around the year 1840, hardly an upper class house wife went without a new carriage to show off. Carriages during this time were embellished with cooper, silver, and other ornate details that only the very wealthy could afford. Once Queen Victoria purchased three of them, the carriage was instantly popular. Soon thereafter, those newer carriages on the market began popping up with names such as “princess,” duchess,” and “Balmoral.”
In 1889, a man by the name of William Richardson expanded upon Kent’s earlier design by creating a carriage that was reversible (it could turn towards the mother or away from her). As the years progressed, the Twenties eventually came flying by, and with this roaring decade came the modern carriage. Nearly every family had a carriage by this point, though it wasn’t until the Sixties that a lightweight carriage was developed. From that point on, the history of strollers began to change with the flux of the modern world.
Today, there are numerous types of carriage out there from those that can travel well to those that can be taken on the toughest terrain. Though they have come a lot way from Kent’s time, the carriage is still an essential part of any child’s life today.
Imagine what might have happened if the Duke of Devonshire never commissioned the first baby carriage! Parents may still be lugging around their children without any means of transport (scary thought, isn’t it?). Now that you know about the history of strollers, you can share this interesting look into the past with parents that you know.