Mossman Collection
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| Mossman Collection | |
| Established | 1954 |
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| Location | Stockwood Park, Luton England |
| Website | Museum Website |
The Mossman Carriage Collection is a museum housing a collection of horse drawn vehicles in Stockwood Park, Luton, Bedfordshire. It is the largest collection of such vehicles in the United Kingdom, including original vehicles daing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
[edit] About
The collection was donated to the Luton Museum Service in 1991 and has examples of of horse-drawn road vehicles and carrages used in Britain dating from Roman times up until the 1930s. The collection has examples of vehicles used by tradesmen and ordinary people as well as luxury vehicles and state coaches used by the British nobility and used on the large British estates.
The collection is significant to the people of Bedfordshire as it documents the life’s work and passions of a local man, and also it is of national significance as it was the largest private collection of horse drawn vehicles.
[edit] History
The collection was put together by George Mossman who was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, in 1908. Shortly after the First World War Mossman left school and started work for a local butchers in Luton (Panters located in Park Street), as a delivery driver. This early vocation started Mossmans life long interest in horse-drawn transport.
Mossman had a varied working life including, running several businesses and a farm. He acquired a leasing company providing horse drawn carriages for special events such as weddings, carnivals and public occasions. Mossman drove his carriages in the London’s Lord Mayors Show for 25 years and even had carriages and drivers as part of the present Queen’s Coronation procession in 1953.
The museum houses 54 registered vehicles from Mossman, as well as carriages from Luton Museum Services own collection. In total there are more than 63 vehicles on display, including original carriages from the 18th to the 20th centuries as well as replicas made for Mossmans work with Pinewood and Elstree firm studios towards the later half of the 20th century.
Particularly unusual vehicles inclue an 18th century Landau and also an early 19th century Barouche, both in very good condition. There is also an 1890’s Char-a-bang which dates from the early days of public transportation.
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