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Home > Museum Shop > Holiday Ornaments > Virginia Buggy Ornament
  Virginia Buggy Ornament
Price: $12.95
The design for this ornament is taken from buggy #140 in the 1910 catalog of the Virginia Buggy Company. By the time John D. Abbitt opened his Virginia Buggy Company in 1910 in Franklin, Virginia, the first automobiles were already tooling around Southampton County. Abbitt may have guessed that the twentieth century was going to be the age of the wheel, but he anticipated that it would be pulled by horses, not horsepower. Franklin already supported several other coach companies, but that did not deter Abbitt. His catalog featured illustrations of buckboards, runabouts, buggies, and surreys. Customers could order special features such as axles or a fifth wheel for spring buggies. The last page also offered suggestions for the care of these vehicles. Customers were cautioned to wash the carriages with clear, cold water and never to turn the hose on with force. Vehicles should be varnished at least once a year, and they should never be driven if the wheels were loose.
Brass with green enamel accents. 3 1/2" x 4", gift boxed
What's related:
• Visit the Reynolds Business History Center online
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