Stroller history
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
To meet Wikipedia's quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. It reads more like a story than an encyclopedia entry. Please see specific examples noted on the talk page. Editing help is available. |
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (July 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Contents |
[edit] The History of Strollers
Ever since babies have been born, parents have looked for a convenient way of traveling with their children. From slings to pouches, babies have been transported in a number of ways. Today we do it a bit differently, but how did we get our modern day strollers? Where did it all start?
[edit] The Inspiration
The idea of a baby stroller first came into being with a man named William Kent. He was a garden architect in England who had become very well known for his work. In 1733, the Duke of Devonshire asked Kent to build a means of transportation that would amuse his children. Kent obliged by constructing a shell shaped basket on wheels that the children could sit in. This was richly decorated and meant to be pulled by a goat or small pony. Kent’s idea caught on and soon other royal family owned similar contraptions.
In 1840, the baby carriage became extremely popular. Queen Victoria bought three carriages from Hitchings Baby Store. If you wanted to be part of high society, you had to own a baby carriage.
The carriages of those days were much different than today. They were built of wood or wicker and held together by expensive brass joints. These were sometimes fancy and became heavily ornamented works of art. Models were also named after royalty. Princess and Duchess were popular names, as well as Balmoral and Windsor.
[edit] New Ideas
In June of 1889, a new carriage design came on to the public scene. William Richardson patented his idea of the first reversible stroller. The bassinet was designed so it could face out or in towards the parent. He also made structural changes to the carriage. Until then the axils did not allow each wheel to move separately. Richardson’s design allowed this which increased maneuverability of the carriages.
As the 1920s, began, World War I was coming to an end. Modern baby carriages were now an available to all families. They were also becoming safer as new features like larger wheels, brakes, deeper prams, and lower, sturdier frames began to appear. By 1950, these carriages were a must have for all families.
In 1965, Owen Maclaren, an aeronautical engineer, listened to his daughter complain about traveling from England to America with her heavy pram. Maclaren knew that she needed something with a light frame that could fold up compactly. Using his knowledge of aeroplanes, Maclaren designed a stroller with an aluminum frame and created the first true umbrella stroller. He then went on to found Maclaren which manufactured and sold his new design. The design took off and soon “strollers” were easier to transport and used everywhere.
[edit] Conclusion
Since the 1980s, the stroller industry has come leaps and bounds. New features, safer construction, and more accessories have opened up a whole new world to parents of infants and toddlers. More, recently, strollers have become highly stylistic and convenient. Examples of this include phil&teds and Bugaboo.
