Sleigh
Probably Midwestern, c. 1890–1905
This horse-drawn family sleigh, likely built by a commercial Midwestern manufacturer between 1890 and 1905, was discovered in a Boone County haymow and restored in the late 1990s by John Spitznogle (1936–2021). During the restoration, John documented the project and recreated the original paint and decorative striping by following the surviving "ghost" outlines left by nineteenth-century carriage painters. Although its exact manufacturer has not yet been identified, research suggests it was built by a quality regional carriage maker.
After completing the restoration, John often hitched the sleigh behind his 1951 John Deere Model B tractor to give rides to family and friends around his Boone County farm.
Scan the QR code to learn more about the restoration, the ongoing search for the sleigh's original maker, and John Spitznogle's passion for meticulous restoration and the Indiana State Fair
No comments:
Post a Comment