#carriages

Winter in Union Square

Artist: Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935)

Date: 1889–1890

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY, United States

Description

1914 silent film

A slightly generic coach, but obviously very elegant and pretty.

Poor Cinderella, 1934

The only example I know of a blue carriage. Simple and cartoonish, yet obviously rich and elegant in-universe, and the crown on top makes it clear that the Fairy Godmother has Cinderella's future planned already.

1947 Russian film

Again, slightly ordinary yet pretty.

Disney animation, 1950

I think this iconic design might be my favorite, and not just because it was the first Cinderella coach I ever saw. The fact that it's white with gold trim instead of golden all over does nothing to detract yrom its elegance, and in fact makes it stand out more in the dark night. i love the fact that it still resembles a pumpkin in shape, right down to the fact that the wheel still look like curling tendrils, yet at the same time its simple, shining beauty makes it any young girl's fantasy carriage. The "C" on the door is an extra special touch – this coach is made especially for Cinderella and monogrammed for her as if she were royalty.

The Glass Slipper, 1955

Nothing fanciful about this coach – it's pretty and elegant, but in an ordinary way. but that's the point in this version, because we're made to think it's an ordinary coach that Mrs. Toquet borrowed for Ella. We don't find out that really she transformed it from a pumpkin until it changes back at midnight.

1957 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical

It's hard to comment on this design because it's in black and white, but it's obviously a very ornate and pretty princess-like carriage. I like the feather plume on the top – even though it's not the first to have one, so did the 1947 coach – and the four lanterns that illuminate it from the outside instead of just one or two.

1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical

This one loses a few points because its design is so obviously inspired by Disney's animated coach. It's basically identical to Disney's except that it's golden instead of white and has gold curtains instead of red. But while it might not be the most original coach, it's still charming.

The Slipper and the Rose, 1976

Now here's a beauty! Between the ornate gold trim, the shining mirrored doors, the pink satin cushions and curtains, the strands of crystals hanging from the windows, and the four feather plumes, this is obviously no ordinary coach, and it really does embody a little girl's fantasies of a princess carriage.

1979 Russian animation

The only green coach on this list. Once again, it retains the pumpkin shape with details that evoke the stem and tendrils, yet its gold-trimmed elegance make it more than just a squash on wheels. By the way, during the transformation, I also like the unique detail of having the wheels form from two smaller pumpkins that were growing next to the big one that becomes the body.

Faerie Tale Theatre, 1985

This unique coach with its open-air design and its gauzy white canopy top and curtains has an especially light, feminine beauty. The twinkling white electric lights that decorate it are an anachronism, of course, but if we think of them as magical fairy lights, they add great charm. The design of the seat as a small, elegant chair is also an interesting choice, though it might not be as comfortable as a traditional wide seat.

Cinderella Monogatari, 1996

Another coach similar to Disney's in design: white with gold trim, and retaining the shape of a pumpkin, right down to a decoration at the top that faintly resembles a stem.

1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical

The fact that it’s bright orange and still looks so much like a pumpkin is a little on the nose. I’m sure some ball guests would have wondered why the mystery lady arrived in a squash-themed coach. Still, it’s charming, and since they did go full-out with the pumpkin theme, I like the way the green leaves and tendrils are incorporated into the design.

(This is obviously not a production still, but a backstage photo: the two people in the coach are Mary Rodgers and James Hammerstein, visiting the set of their fathers' musical.)

2015 Disney live action remake

Sheer opulence. Once again it retains the pumpkin shape, but the intricate gold ornamentation that covers it creates a magnificent sense of elegance and luxury, while at the same time resembling a pumpkin's leaves and vines. This is a coach truly fit for a princess.

2021 Kay Cannon musical

I think this is the only adaptation to give Cinderella a black coach, which seems like an odd choice, until you realize that with all the gold trim, it's meant to resemble a monarch butterfly's wings. With that in mind, it really is a pretty carriage, and the open top is a nice unique design choice, as are the four lanterns that flank the seats, a feature not seen since the 1957 version. Fun fact: it was built by Mercedez-Benz for the production as part of a cross-promotional partnership, and co-designed by the Fabulous Godmother’s actor Billy Porter himself.

Pharaoh's Army Marching

Artist: Erastus Salisbury Field (American, 1805-1900)

Date: c. 1865-1880

Medium: Oil on canvas

View of the Palace of Aranjuez

Artist: Francesco Battaglioli (Italian, 1725-1796)

Date: 1756

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Description

Canny Glasgow

Artist: John Atkinson Grimshaw (English, 1836-1893)

Date: 1887

Medium: Oil on canvas