The first prams were developed in the eighteenth century for the children of the upper classes. By the 1840s prams (or "baby carriages") had become very popular. Queen Victoria purchased three carriages in Hitchings Baby Store. The basic pram design was evolving and by the 1920s models with new features such as brakes and sturdier frames were available to all families. Although prams are less common now than pushchairs (also called strollers and buggies), there are still a number of UK manufacturers, and some modern designs are classed as complete travel systems, or three-in-one systems. These can be reconfigured from pram to pushchair/stroller, and the baby seat can be removed for use as a carrycot, and sometimes even used as a car seat.
The word pram is short for perambulator. The term is most often used in UK English, in America the term baby carriage is more often used.
Chicco Cortina Travel System Stroller
The first known design was developed in 1733 by the garden architect, William Kent, at the behest of the Duke of Devonshire. Kent designed a richly decorated, shell shaped basket, which could be towed by a goat or a small pony.
By the 1830s it is known that baby carriages were being manufactured in the US. The father and son team of Benjamin Potter Crandall and Jesse Armour Crandall manufactured and designed carriages, and patented a number of improvements, including brakes, models which could be folded up, and fittings for parasols and umbrellas.
Baby carriages were soon very popular among the upper and middle classes on both sides of the Atlantic. It is recorded that Queen Victoria purchased three from Hitchings Baby Store. Design were heavy, often made of wood and heavily ornamented, and with expensive brass joints. Designs often had names such as Duchess, or Balmoral, showing the association with the upper class lifestyle.
By the twentieth century prams were more of an item which could be afforded by every family. Safety improvements were added such as brakes, lower and more sturdy frames and larger wheels. Sprung suspensions were also added during the twentieth century, but there was also a trend toward simpler on-sprung models, with a detachable carry cot body.
The push-chair, buggy or stroller started to become more popular than prams in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1956 the aeronautical engineer, Owen Maclaren, invented the collapsible buggy design, which many parents find to be more convenient than the full sized pram. Maclaren is of course now the company name for one of the buggy manufacturers.
Some modern buggy designs now allow the child's seat to be adjusted so that the child is in a lying position, rather than sitting. In some cases the body can be turned round so that the child is lying and facing the parent.
Although traditional prams and baby carriages are now less popular than buggies there are still some UK manufacturers. The Silver Cross brand has been made in Yorkshire since 1877. At various times the brand was manufactured in Hunslet (Leeds), then in Guisely, and now in Bingley.
32 Lcd Hdtv 1080P Hard Drive Enclosure Convertible Tablet Pc