Since this listing Joyce Jordan has very kindly scanned these two pictures from the Osnath brochure showing the front cover of the catalogue and ....
....The style of the pram that they bought for their son. I remember seeing this lovely pale grey colour that they chose for their pram's hood and apron and thinking how very smart indeed.
(I was also impressed by the all (body, hood and apron) in Olive green choice but as Chon was a Summer baby I decided to go with the paler colours.)
Many thanks, Joyce, for your kindness in forwarding them to me.
In my last entry Dr. Lawrence-Jones asked, 'Did Fritz as a baby reside in a posh pram?' I'm afraid that I don't know the answer to that one as I didn't own him in those early days... BUT Chon my daughter certainly did as you can see below... (and when she had eventually out grown it my eldest brother used the wheels to make his boys a go-cart.)
Here she is at three weeks old (you can just see the slight mound of her body) taking an outside nap in this beautiful coach built Osnath carriage. The Royal Family (as did my parents) always had the Osnath prams (hence Osnath had been awarded the Royal Seal of Approval.)
The main wood body and interior was in cream with two fine outlines, accentuating the outer body shape, in the coffee brown to match the hood (and apron not shown.) The latter were made from a newly designed waterproof material that resembled the finish like silk has, catching the light as it moved and the hood when up had a most beautiful line to it, unique to the Osnath carriages. The actual body was suspended by four leather straps to the base springs so that it almost glided along giving a very smooth ride. There was a panel inside that could be removed to allow the child as it grew, to sit up straight with it's feet in the well as these prams were often used until the child was at least two or three. Her blankets and sheets were in in powder blue to enhance the colour of her eyes and the Summer canopy (have yet to locate the photo of this) which was in distingushed large overlapping checks incorporating the creams, browns and blues to compliment the pram's colouring.
Very interesting. Wish your daughter a very happy birthday :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Serenta, I will tell her of your good wishes. Kendal.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful pram Kendal. Please send Chon my birthday wishes also!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh when you said about about your eldest brother useing the wheels to make his boys a go-cart, as my brother and i did the same with the wheels from my much younger sisters, Silver Cross pram, lol.
I rode in one of these until I was three years old. Then it was stored away with care, waiting for the next generation. It nearly broke my Mother's heart when, at great expense, she sent it down from Yorkshire to my home in London, two weeks before my daughter was born .... and it wouldn't fit round the sharp bend from the front door where the corridor turned to allow room for the staircase, nor would it pass through the porch door at the back of the house.
ReplyDeleteI had to push it the three miles to the local pram shop and have a part exchange for a smaller version. Mum still says I should have sold the house and kept the pram!
I was old enough before I vacated the pram to remember that it was a beautifully smooth ride - much more comfortable than my other chariot- an early Silver Cross pushchair! Even that was a Rolls Royce compared to the horrible strollers that little babies are bent to fit the shape of today. Having to be able to fold them up to go in cars may be a bonus for mothers, but I can't help feeling the comfort of babies is a little neglected.
Happy Birthday, Chon - one of the last generation of babies that were treated to a little luxury!
The Osnath pram that you purchased for Chon is almost identical to the one we bought for our first born in 1963, ours was Grey in colour with as you say a silk hood and apron.........I still have the original receipt for it and the Brochure too, if I can dig out a photo some time I'll send it providing that I can manage to transfer it to the computer. Seeing the above photo brought back a lot of memories and as you say a it was a beautiful piece of workmanship and a pleasure to own for our very special son.
ReplyDeleteJoyce.
Joyce x
Jenann and Joyce,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to hear about your two Osnath prams. I'd love to see any photos of them both if at all possible. I bought the one for Chon in June 1964 and she used it until she was three+ and like Jenann's it travelled around the UK courtesy of British Rail in their luggage carriage, from here in Cheshire to Bexhill-on-Sea on the south coast and then back up again a couple of years later with the wheels and chassis perched on the car roof and the body squeezed within our Austin A40.
I was in one too!
ReplyDeleteMine was navy I believe and I always slept in the garden in it for hours contentedly and my grandparents bought it for me as they wanted me to have a Royal pram!! xx
Kendal said,
ReplyDeleteSnap Sarah!
The Osnath pram that my three brothers and sister and I had was all navy too and we all spent hours, strapped in a harness in it, sleeping and playing out in the garden in all weathers, hood up or down, apron on or off. Luckily being the eldest I had it from new but by the time my youngest brother (seventeen years and several children later) was born and ready to use it, it was showing signs of wear and tear.
Sorry this is so late Kendal, but enjoyed reading all the responses enormously. I like the idea of the removable panel to allow for growth of the baby. My pram - a Silver Cross - had a similar panel, but it was simply for storage.
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered if this style of pram was important in respect of the intellectual development of a baby. The little one had a superb 180 degree viewing theatre and the hood provided protection against the worst of weathers (the poor mother wasn't as lucky!).
I worry dreadfully when I see very young babies parcelled up in some of these horrendous buggies. Such contraptions cannot be good for a little baby's spine.