A barouche is a large, open, four-wheeled
carriage
A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping an ...
, both heavy and luxurious, drawn by two horses. It was fashionable throughout the 19th century. Its body provides seats for four passengers, two back-seat passengers
vis-à-vis
Vis-à-vis may refer to:
* Vis-à-vis, a French expression in English, literally "face to face (with)", meaning in comparison with or in relation to
* ''Vis-à-vis'' (album), by Karol Mikloš, 2002
* Vis-à-vis (carriage), a type of horse-drawn ...
two behind the coachman's high box-seat. A leather roof can be raised to give back-seat passengers some protection from the weather.
Etymology
''Barouche'' is an
anglicisation
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
of the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
word ''barutsche'', via the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
''baroccio'' or ''biroccio'' and ultimately from the ancient Roman Empire's
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''birotus'', "two-wheeled". The name thus became a
misnomer
A misnomer is a name that is incorrectly or unsuitably applied. Misnomers often arise because something was named long before its correct nature was known, or because an earlier form of something has been replaced by a later form to which the name ...
, as the later form of the carriage had four wheels.
Development and variations
The barouche was based on an earlier style of carriage, the ''calash'' or ''calèche'': this was a light carriage with small wheels, inside seats for four passengers, a separate driver's seat and a folding top.
A folding calash top was a feature of two other types: the
chaise
A one-horse chaise
A three-wheeled "Handchaise", Germany, around 1900, designed to be pushed by a person
A chaise, sometimes called chay or shay, is a light two- or four-wheeled traveling or pleasure carriage for one or two people with a folding ...
, a two-wheeled carriage for one or two persons, a body hung on leather straps or thorough-braces, usually drawn by one horse; and a
victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, a low four-wheeled pleasure carriage for two with a raised seat in front for the driver. A
victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
is distinguished from a barouche by having fold-down occasional seating for the rear-facing passengers, instead of permanent seats in that position.
Description of the barouche carriage
A barouche was an expensive four-wheeled, shallow
vehicle
A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), wa ...
used in the 19th century with two double seats inside, arranged ''
vis-à-vis
Vis-à-vis may refer to:
* Vis-à-vis, a French expression in English, literally "face to face (with)", meaning in comparison with or in relation to
* ''Vis-à-vis'' (album), by Karol Mikloš, 2002
* Vis-à-vis (carriage), a type of horse-drawn ...
'', so that the sitters on the front seat face those on the back seat. It has a soft collapsible half-hood folding like a bellows over the back seat and a high outside box seat in front for the driver. The entire carriage is suspended on C springs and leather straps and more recently additional elliptical springs.
![Prince William of Wales & Prince Henry of Wales](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Prince_William_of_Wales_%26_Prince_Henry_of_Wales.jpg)
It is drawn by a pair of
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
s and was used in the 19th century for display and summer leisure driving. Designed to give a powerful impression of luxury and elegance, the structure of the carriage is heavier than it looks because of the lack of a rigid roof structure.
A light barouche was a ''barouchet'' or ''barouchette''. A
barouche-sociable
A sociable (short for ''sociable coach'') or barouche-sociable is an open, four-wheeled carriage described as a cross between a barouche and a victoria, having two double seats facing each other. It might be controlled from the interior by an owne ...
was described as a cross between a barouche and a
victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
.
A barouche-landau is mentioned in ''
Emma
Emma may refer to:
* Emma (given name)
Film
* Emma (1932 film), ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown
* Emma (1996 theatrical film), ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow
* Emma (1996 TV film), '' ...
'', published in 1816 by
Jane Austen
Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...
. It "combines the best features of a barouche and a
landau
Landau ( pfl, Landach), officially Landau in der Pfalz, is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990 ...
". An illustration of the expensive and more rarely seen vehicle, on account of the expense, is shown in a paper by Ed Ratcliffe, citing editor R. W. Chapman's collection of the works of Jane Austen, in the volume Minor Works, as noted in Ratcliffe's sources.
In popular culture
In the novels by Jane Austen, "Lady Dalrymple, Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, and Henry Crawford owned barouches" in which other characters rode, and Jane Austen herself on at least one occasion in 1813 rode in a barouche.
Henry Crawford was a character in ''
Mansfield Park
''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, still within Austen's lifetime. The novel did not receive any public reviews unt ...
'' and his barouche was the topic of two important scenes of the novel; Lady Dalrymple was in ''
Persuasion
Persuasion or persuasion arts is an umbrella term for Social influence, influence. Persuasion can influence a person's Belief, beliefs, Attitude (psychology), attitudes, Intention, intentions, Motivation, motivations, or Behavior, behaviours.
...
'', while Mr and Mrs Palmer were characters in ''
Sense and Sensibility
''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...
''.
Barouche driving is mentioned as a fashionable pastime in Nice, Italy, in chapter 37 of ''
Little Women
''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888).
Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the lives ...
'' by
Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott (; November 29, 1832March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known as the author of the novel ''Little Women'' (1868) and its sequels ''Little Men'' (1871) and ''Jo's Boys'' (1886). Raised in ...
.
Chichikov, the main character of
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...
's "
Dead Souls
''Dead Souls'' (russian: «Мёртвые души», ''Mjórtvyje dúshi'') is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842, and widely regarded as an exemplar of 19th-century Russian literature. The novel chronicles the travels and adv ...
", is frequently driven around in his own barouche by his servant Selifan and is also involved in a crash with another carriage.
Gallery
Image:Abraham Lincoln's carriage (barouche), c. 1860-1865, on loan from the Studebaker National Museum, view 2 - National Museum of American History - DSC00334.jpg, Note unprotected forward seats
and lack of underperch in the barouche
File:Bijela i crna kočija na MESAP-u 2016.jpg, White and black barouche at an exhibition in Nedelišće
Nedelišće ( hu, Drávavásárhely; Kajkavian: ''Nedelišče'') is a village in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia, and the seat of the Municipality of Nedelišće, which also includes 10 other villages in the south-western part of Međimurje ...
, Croatia
See also
*
Steering undercarriage Turning radius was a longstanding problem with wagons, dictated by the distance between the front wagon wheels and the bed of the wagon—namely, the point where the rotating wheels collide with the side of the wagon when turning. Many earlier desig ...
*
Types of horse-drawn carriages
References
External links
{{commons category, Barouches
Carriages
Animal-powered vehicles
History of road transport
Horse transportation