Art
This design for a commercial passenger carriage—called an omnibus or wagonette—shows how ordinary Americans moved through cities before electric streetcars took over. These horse-drawn vehicles carried workers, shoppers, and families on fixed routes, making city travel affordable for everyone.
Art · Full story
You climb aboard the wooden steps, grab the brass rail, and find a seat on worn upholstery alongside a factory worker, a woman with shopping parcels, a clerk heading to the office. The carriage lurches forward as the driver cracks the reins—another day of stops and starts through crowded streets.
Reflect
How does your journey to work or around town compare to stepping onto a crowded horse-drawn carriage?