Design for Open Bus or Private Omnibus 1875 - 1885

This design for an open bus or private omnibus was carefully rendered by an anonymous artist with pen, ink, and watercolor on paper. It is not just an image, but also a proposition, showing how the vehicle could be assembled and used. Look at how the unknown artist has paid so much attention to the wheels, chassis, and suspension, the key parts that would be produced industrially, and enable motion. Notice how they contrast with the decoration of the cab, which evokes older traditions of carriage making. The design suggests a transitional moment, when new technologies of mass production are beginning to transform older craft practices. Think about the labor implied in the production of such a vehicle, from the coachbuilders who would have worked with wood and leather, to the metalworkers who would have forged the iron components. By focusing on materials and making, we can appreciate the complex social and economic forces at play in even a seemingly simple design.