Collections

Horse-Drawn Vehicles

The Museum’s carriage collection includes practically every type of horse-drawn vehicle used in New England from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. The nearly 200 examples on view include sleighs, stagecoaches, and commercial wagons.

Electra Havemeyer Webb’s decision to create the Shelburne Museum was a response to the 1946 gift of twenty-eight elegant carriages from the estate of Dr. William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. The Webb vehicles exemplify the finest-quality luxury transportation from the 1890s, with carriages made by Brewster and Company of New York City and custom-made vehicles by Million et Guiet of Paris. A highlight is a rare 1890 Million et Guiet Berlin Coach, featuring a gold satin-lined interior and exquisite brass, leather, and painted details.