The Web Perambulator Museum, History

The Web Perambulator Museum

History

(Right) Cart similar to a hop pickers cart.

In earliest times babies were carried in the arms of their mothers, often in devises such as slings and shawls, much as some cultures still use today. The earliest record of a ‘Child’s Carriage’ dates to the 5th or 6th century, an Anglo Saxon 4 wheeled carriage.

During the 18th century the aristocracy often had miniature carriages made for their children, these were generally designed to be pulled rather than pushed as they closely followed the designs of horse drawn carriages. Made more as a toy rather than for transport many a hapless servant was made to tow the children around in one of these miniature vehicles. Goats, large dogs and small ponies were also used to tow these little carriages around.

Mailcart French c1880.

German Bassinet c1885.

Twin Victoria c1860.

Eventually as more and more people particularly women owned cars, they evolved into the flat bottomed prams that became so popular in the late 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Today’s styles still reflect the need for transporting in the boot of a car of course. However many of you may have noticed a revival in the use of carriage built prams, my own Grandson included. So much better for baby than being crunched up in a modern buggy, they have their uses but there’s nothing quite like a real pram as I’m sure my Grandson would tell you if he could!! He is now too old to travel in his pram, but he still enjoyed a walk and a sleep in it until he was 2 and a half. And no need to carry a plastic cover!!

True ‘Perambulators’ appeared in the mid 1800’s; as it was illegal to use 4 wheeled vehicles on the footpath until 1875, early prams had only 2 or 3 wheels, these were known as Mailcarts and Victorias. These perambulators were designed for sitting and therefore the older child, they were uncomfortable, unstable and even dangerous,

brakes were not fitted as standard until the 1920’s. Around 1870 Bassinets (cradles) began to be fitted onto 4 wheels and thus The Road Traffic Laws were circumvented and the law was eventually abolished.

Around the turn of the century hop pickers would carry their infants and children in little carts, it is generally accepted that hop pickers carts are the true forerunner of the pram.

While late Victorian and Edwardian prams were very beautiful and elegant they were often extremely unstable and many an infant was tipped out and some were even killed as a result. Around 1910 in an effort to make them safer and less likely to tip up they became much deeper and more cumbersome. By the late 1930’s popular opinion stated that babies needed fresh air in order to thrive and prams became shallower again. However progress halted during the war and rationing of raw materials made new prams hard to find.