Mini-Post Monday: Phaetons, Curricles, Barouches, Oh My!

If you have spent a substantial amount of time in the world of Georgian literature, you will have undoubtedly heard talk of the various means of transportation used by the characters. If you are like me, you may have breezed over this aspect of the story, realizing it is significant, but not taking time to appreciate what is actually being said. However, even seemingly trivial details are significant, including the quality of one's carriage. 

There are many more means of travel than the few I will mention here. For a more in-depth look, read this essay published by the Jane Austen Society of North America's Northern California chapter: Transports of Delight 

For this post I am keeping it simple, and assuming you want to have a very basic understanding of the most widely used private vehicles. If carriages really tickle your fancy, there is a lot more information out there. I just won't be reading it. 

Numero Uno: The Phaeton

Looks safe. 

The above represents a "high perch" phaeton. There were also lower, presumably safer phaetons. Although, the beauty of the high perch is that you could be on display for all passers-by. This was the vehicle in which to see and be seen. 

Numero Dos: The Curricle 

The young man's sporting vehicle. For the pleasure seeker. Willoughby has one, obviously. 

Numero Tres: The Barouche 

For the established, aristocratic gentleman. Like the vehicles above, the Barouche would be used for daily jaunts, and not for longer trips. Whenever a character goes to great pains to discuss his or her Barouche, he or she may, in fact, be a terrible person. 

These are the three most widely mentioned vehicles, aside from the standard coach. A large respectable, though not wealthy, family like the Bennets would use a coach to get from point A to point B. The point is practicality, not creating an impression. If you owned one of the smaller carriages above, it shows that you can afford a pleasure vehicle, as well as a coach for all those road trips.