craftastic

Some research and theories behind the redesign:
stroller.pdf

The not so humble beginnings of the baby carriage set the scene for my problem:

The baby carriage was invented in 1733 by English architect William Kent for the 3rd Duke of Devonshire’s children.

William H. Richardson patented an improvement to the baby carriage in the United States on June, 18, 1889.

Up until 1840 carriages were pulled by a pony or dog. For 107 years.
In 1840, the baby carriage became extremely popular. Queen Victoria bought three carriages from Hitchings Baby Store. Though these models were very tall and relatively unsafe, they were in fashion. If you wanted to be part of high society, you had to own a baby carriage.

Developments
In June of 1889, a new carriage design came on to the public scene. William Richardson patented his idea of the first reversible stroller. The bassinet was designed so it could face out or in towards the parent. He also made structural changes to the carriage. Until then the axles did not allow each wheel to move separately. Richardson’s design allowed this which increased maneuverability of the carriages.

As the 1920s, began, World War I was coming to an end. Modern baby carriages were now an available to all families. They were also becoming safer as new features like larger wheels, brakes, deeper prams, and lower, sturdier frames began to appear. By 1950, these carriages were a must have for all families.

In 1965, Owen Maclaren, an aeronautical engineer, listened to his daughter complain about traveling from England to America with her heavy pram. Maclaren knew that she needed something with a light frame that could fold up compactly. Using his knowledge of aeroplanes, Maclaren designed a stroller with an aluminum frame and created the first true umbrella stroller. He then went on to found Maclaren which manufactured and sold his new design. The design took off and soon “strollers” were easier to transport and used everywhere.

By 1980, another huge step in stroller design was taken. Phil Baechler decided he wanted to do some running and take his son with him. He saw that the stroller he owned would never hold up to this activity, so he took the wheels off his bike and tried it out. After several attempts he finally worked out the Baby Jogger design.

The carriages of those days were much different than today. They were built of wood or wicker and held together by expensive brass joints. These were very fancy and became heavily ornamented works of art. Models were also named after royalty. Princess and Duchess were popular names, as well as Balmoral and Windsor.