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HAND MADE WOODEN MODEL OF THE CONCORD STAGE COACH
– IMPRESSIVE SIZE AND EXCELLENT DETAIL: Hand
made and fully articulated with spoked wheels that turn,
a front axle that swivels, doors that open, and the
coach body suspended, as were the original Concord
Coaches, on leather slings, this scale model of a Abbot
Downing & Company Concord Stage Coach is an impressive
piece and one that would fit nicely into any Western
collection.
Formed in 1826, and originally known as the J. S. Abbot
and Lewis Downing Co., the Abbott Downing Company of
Concord, New Hampshire established its reputation as the
manufacturer of the famous “Concord Stage Coach”. The
Concord Coach was used extensively in South America,
Australia and Africa as well. Mark Twain was known to
have described the Concord Stagecoach as a “cradle on
wheels”.
In addition to the sturdy construction, the secret to
the Concord Coach’s success lay in the use of leather
thoroughbraces to suspend the coach over the
undercarriage rather than using the standard metal
springs. This innovative suspension system gave the
passengers a smoother ride – more of a swaying motion,
than the jolting up and down resulting from a spring
suspension.
Over 700 Concord stagecoaches were built by the original
Abbot Downing Company before it disbanded in 1847.
Abbot then formed a partnership with his son doing
business as J. S. and E. A. Abbot and Company until
1865. Lewis Downing and his two sons formed Lewis
Downing and Sons during this same period. Upon the
retirement of Lewis Downing in 1865, Downing’s two sons
merged with the Abbot Company forming Abbot Downing &
Company, again merging the experience and talent of the
two families. The company was incorporated in 1873 and
was known for the duration of its existence as the
Abbot-Downing Company. From 1847 through 1899, under
the various names, the firm produced an additional three
thousand Concord coaches, earning a permanent place in
the history of the American frontier and the Stagecoach
remains today one of the most recognizable icons of the
Wild West.
This hand made model, created with painstaking detail,
measures an impressive 18” long, 8 “ wide and 12” high.
As noted above, the spoked wheels turn freely, the front
axle free to turn, both side doors of the coach open,
and the coach body is properly suspended on the Abbot
Downing trademark leather slings. The bench seats
inside the coach are upholstered as is the floor, the
windows are accented with the rolled leather shades, and
the sides of the coach have painted accents as did the
original coaches. The driver’s foot rest and the
baggage tray are hinged to the body of the coach and
suspended with chains. The rear panel of the baggage
tray is stamped “ABBOT & DOWNING N.H.”. The foot steps
leading into the coach interior and the luggage rail on
the roof are made of hand fashioned wire trim, as are
all the other metal fittings. Overall this coach is
well made, involving the shaping and fitting of numerous
individual pieces. There is a tremendous amount of hand
work involved in making this model with much attention
to detail and it represents what must have been a real
labor of love on the part of the craftsman.
I have no idea when this model was made. The material
covering the seats and the red cover over the baggage
tray are both synthetics, leading me to believe this
piece was crafted sometime in the mid 20th
Century. Nonetheless, it has all the character and
style of the early 20th Century “tramp art”
or perhaps a Depression era toy. In any case this is an
interesting rendition of the famous Stage Coach and
would be a good addition in any display of Western
memorabilia. $350
NOTE: Newley, our miniature
dachshund, reluctantly agreed to serve as a comparison
in the last photo to give you some idea of the size of
the coach. Though for those of you who know me its
probably not necessary to point out, to save any
misunderstanding, he's not included with the coach -
there just isn't enough money in print.
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