- Barouche
A barouche, developed from the calash of the 18th century, [
Casanova mentions a "calèche à 2 roues" first in 1742, a "calèche à 4 roues" in 1758 (Gunther)] was a fashionable type of horse-drawncarriage in the 19th century. It was a four-wheeled, shallowvehicle with two double seats inside, arranged so that the sitters on the front seat faced those on the back seat. It had a collapsible half-hood folding like a bellows over the back seat and an outside box seat high in front for the driver. The entire carriage was suspended on C springs. It was drawn by a pair of high-qualityhorse s and was used principally for leisure driving in the summer. A light barouche was a barouchet or barouchette.The word "barouche" is an
anglicisation of the German word "barutsche", via the Italian "baroccio" or "biroccio" and ultimately from the Latin "birotus", "two-wheeled". The name thus became a misnomer, as the later form of the carriage had four wheels.Calash
The earlier carriage type, called calash or caleche, was also 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 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, a low four-wheel pleasure carriage for two with a raised seat in front for the driver.
In
Quebec , Canada, calèche refers to a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle with or without a folding top and with a driver's seat on the splashboard. [ [http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/MP-0000.25.1041 Musée McCord Museum - Caleche, Dufferin Terrace, Quebec City, QC, about 1920.] McCord Museum of Canadian History, Montreal, Quebec.] In thePhilippines , a small two-wheeled calash is called akalesa or calesa.Notes
References
* [http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database B1499 Horse-drawn carriage, barouche, timber / metal / glass / leather / textile, made by Shanks and Co, London, England, used by John Brown Watt in Sydney before 1888 - Powerhouse Museum Collection.] Search "barouche". Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia.
* [http://www.lexic.us/definition-of/barouche Barouche: Definition with Barouche Pictures and Photos.] Lexicus.
* [http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=16898 Freesound :: view sample :: CalecheDownAlley.wav.] Institut Universitari de l'Audiovisual (Institute of Audiovisual Studies), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. Sound file.
* [http://www.giacomo-casanova.de/catour3.htm#2wheeled Pablo Günther, "The Casanova Tour": two-wheeled carriages".] Chair, chaise and calash.
* [http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-barouche.htm What is a Barouche?] wiseGEEK.
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