Hansom Cabs

A Hansom Cab Stand, 1888-1889

P. Stahl at http://www.1st-art-gallery.com

Hansom Cab Pub, York

Hansom Cab in London by Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938)

http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/month/jan2004.html

Read this early detective story, a bestseller in its day, free at:
http://www.online-literature.com/fergus-hume/mystery-of-a-hansom-cab/1/

(From http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/society/hansom-cab.html.)
hansom-cab@sherlock-holmes.co.uk

When taking a cab, one had two choices. First was the standard four-wheeler, or "growler." The growler saw its best use by groups of more than two people. But if one or two persons, such as a master detective and his friend doctor, wanted a swift ride through the city, a different cab was more to their liking: the hansom.

The two-wheeled "safety cab" which would later be favoured by such folk as Holmes and Watson was originally patented by Joseph A. Hansom in 1836. His design differed from previous two-wheeled carriages in that the wheels were mounted on two separate spindles rather than an axle, allowing the main load of the vehicle to ride lower than previously possible. Although the cab's design was altered before it attained popularity, the name of its creator stuck with it, and the "hansom" cab became a part of Victorian life. (From http://www.sherlockpeoria.net/Hansom_pages/HansomCabs.html. Read much more at this terrific site.)