Landau

The Landau probably first appeared in England in the 1790s. It quickly gained in popularity because it was well suited to the changeable English weather, with the ability to be quickly converted from an open to closed carriage. The leather hood could be pulled over the two seats and the windows lifted from the body to create a closed cab. Early examples needed frequent greasing and blacking of the metal bars on the side of the hood which gave off an unpleasant smell, but the carriage remained popular throughout the 19th century.

The example in the Streetlife collection bears the arms of the Chater-Fawsitt family, and dates to 1868.