page_title: Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages
section_title: Highlights
hierarchical_section_title: Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages / Carriage collection / Highlights
context_page_description: The Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages, colloquially known as the Long Island Museum, is a nine-acre museum located in historic Stony Brook, New York. The museum focuses on serving the Long Island community by preserving and displaying its extensive collection of art, historical artifacts, and carriages; providing robust educational and public programming; and collaborating with a variety of other arts and cultural organizations.
context_section_description: The Tally-ho Road Coach (1875) was given to the museum by the Museum of the City of New York in 2008.  Made by Holland & Holland, of London, the carriage was purchased and brought to the United States by Col. Delancey Astor Kane (1844–1915), a wealthy founder of the New York Coaching Club.  A canary yellow and beautifully-proportioned road coach, the Tally-Ho was driven four-in-hand style from Manhattan to Pelham, NY (and later, New Rochelle, NY) by Kane, beginning in 1876 and periodically each season into the early 1880s.  The vehicle became nationally famous, providing excursions to New Yorkers of all backgrounds and was covered widely by prominent publications of the day.
  The Grace Darling Omnibus (c. 1880) was gifted to the museum in 1952 by St. Paul's School located in Concord, New Hampshire. This type of large omnibus, sometimes called a "barge" was used primarily in New England for excursions. Many of these vehicles were named for famous people or locations; this particular omnibus is named after Grace Darling, a popular maritime heroine who was responsible for the dramatic rescue of survivors from a shipwreck off the coast of England in 1838. This omnibus was operated by the Huntress family who owned a livery business in South Berwick, Maine from the 1860s to 1904 before being acquired by the St. Paul's school to transport athletic teams to sporting events.
  The Gypsy Wagon (1860–1885) was accessioned into the collection in 1955. Gypsy wagons, sometimes called vardos, were used for traveling, for fortune-telling, and as residences. This particular vardo (Romani wagon) belonged to Ms. Phoebe Stanley, sometimes known as the Gypsy Queen Phoebe, a resident of East Natick, Massachusetts. This partially restored vehicle is intricately decorated with landscapes and figurative paintings, half-spindles, beaded molding, painted gold four-leaf clovers, etched frosted glass, painted scroll work and much more.
  The Wells Fargo Wagon (c. 1870) was gifted to the museum by the Railroad Express Agency in 1959. The Wells Fargo Overland Express Company figured prominently in America's westward expansion by providing coach transportation for passengers and mail and operated banking offices throughout the West. This particular heavy type of mud wagon was manufactured by Abbot-Downing Company and painted in the Wells Fargo standard red and yellow while being devoid of any decoration and luxury components.
  Four Bavarian State Coaches (c. 1850) from the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Germany were gifted to the museum by Dieter Holterbosch in 1967. The state coach was a formal vehicle used by royalty or high officials in processions on state business. These four stage coaches belonged to Prince Albert of Bavaria (1818–1875), the youngest son of King Ludwig I of Wittlsbasch Dynasty.
  The Dr. Charles W. Gerstenberg Carriage Reference Library, which is located in the Carriage Museum, is a rich resource of historic prints, photographs, and rare books on every subject relating to the carriage era. The 700-square-foot library is open by appointment to researchers.
caption: State Coach, M. Staubwasser, Munich, Germany, c. 1850, Gift of Dieter Holterbosch