Located on Route 7, just seven miles south of Burlington, Vermont, the Shelburne Museum is open each year from May 15th to October 15th. CARRIAGES FOR AN OWNER’S DRIVING [Illustration] MAIL PHAETON _Dark green; cane work at back of seat. Trimmed in eggshell broadcloth._ Styles in carriages, like women’s fashions, changed continuously. Speaking of the mail phaeton, a massive, masculine pair-horse carriage, the Duke of Beaufort in 1899 said: “They are much in use by noblemen and gentlemen and frequently employed by bachelors for long posting journeys in England as well as the Continent. They have almost reached perfection in the hands of the builder, Peters.” Just fourteen years later, Francis M. Ware wrote: “In phaetons, the cumbrous and lumbering mail phaeton is as extinct as the dodo.” The mail phaeton took its name from the mail coach and was characterized by its wooden perch (the pole running from the rear to the front axle) and mail coach springing. In England, these vehicles were used to send out mail and parcels to the nearest point where the royal mail coach passed. _Gift of the Webb family in memory of Dr. and Mrs. W. Seward Webb_ [Illustration] SPIDER PHAETON _Black with red; canework at back of seat. Trimmed in blue broadcloth._ In 1888, G. N. Hooper (feature writer for _Driving_ magazine) wrote: “For some years the young men of fashion have driven a small Stanhope phaeton. They are now giving place to spider phaetons, a sort of Tilbury body on four wheels, with a neat little seat for the groom behind, supported on branched irons; most of them have a folding head over the front body. “Those first made had a trembling and vibrating motion; but with more solid construction ... they have become not only comfortable, but with more refined designs and construction, more stylish in appearance. They carry a lady and gentleman on the front seat comfortably, and the hind seat is made of such size as to carry only one person, and the groom runs no chance of having his dignity hurt by his master or one of his friends having to sit beside him.” This spider phaeton was built in Paris, France by Muhlbacher. _Gift of Mrs. Gambrill in memory of her husband, Mr. Richard V. N. Gambrill_ [Illustration] CUT-UNDER PHAETON _Body painted dark green. Trimmed in tan whipcord._ A wide variety of carriages are known as phaetons, but usually the name is given to an open vehicle with four wheels which is intended for personal driving by the owner.