Before the automobile changed the world of transportation, the fastest way to get around was by a carriage pulled by horses.

Like today's cars, carriages in the late 1700s varied dramatically in style and elegance.

The average person's carriage was often no more than a single-axle wooden wagon pulled by one or two horses. The wealthy decorated their carriages and had them outfitted with fine upholstery making them quite comfortable for long trips. Elaborate carriages had a separate area for the driver atop the front of the carriage and could be drawn by as many as twenty horses.