Click on the picture to see a larger version.
Right: The seat at the rear of a carriage was called the "front" seat because it faced front. Left: A charcoal foot warmer tethered to the floor between the seats.
Source:
Photos by Norman Beattie.
Winnipeg Cab History / 22
The Horse Cab (5)
According to inscriptions on the brass wheel hubs, the carriage was built by James Cunningham & Son, Rochester, N.Y. (Winnipeg cabs and fancy carriages were also imported from eastern Canada or the U.S.) The solid rubber tires are very pitted, suggesting that it has undergone a lot of use, but although worn in places the carriage is in excellent shape.
The interior of the carriage is upholstered in black and lined with black cloth. A charcoal footwarmer (standard equipment in carriages during the winter) is tethered to the floor by a strap.
In carriages where passengers sat face to face, "front seat" and "back seat" had entirely different meanings than they do now. The "front" seat was the rear seat, so called because it faced front.
The "back" seat was the forward seat, so called because it faced the back of the cab. The "front" (rear) seat was the preferred seat and was therefore ceded to ladies by gentlemen, or by the young to their elders.