Object Record
Images
Additional Images [12]
Metadata
Object ID # |
1982.052.001ab |
Object Name |
Cutter |
Title |
T. B. Dowsley Single Horse Cutter |
Lexicon category |
7: Distribution & Transportation Artifact |
Date |
19th-century |
Artist |
T. B. Dowsley, Owen Sound, Ont. [Thomas B. Dowsley] |
Made |
Dowsley, Thomas B. |
Place of Origin |
Owen Sound, Grey County |
Description |
Small single horse cutter (a) and shafts (b). This cutter (a type of sleigh) has two runners which are each 251 cm long. The runners have steel shoes which curve at the front for support of the wing dash and curve over the top of the dash, ending in an eagle head finial (brass). There is a cast iron whip holder mounted on the inside at the right. It has red-painted gear and double bent knees. There are 12 metal braces on each side of the gear. The wing dash is painted red and black and flares out in its shape. It is made of two boards. The body of the cutter is painted black. There is black metal trim on the top sides of the box. The seat is bolted to the back with metal rods. There is an arm rail mounted on the side of the seat. The back cushion is missing. The seat cushion is made of black leather and has a diamond and button upholstered design. A small plate mounted on the back of the seat has "T. B. Dowsley Maker Owen Sound, Ont." A small storage compartment is present behind the seat. The shafts are 227 cm long and are two fairly-straight long poles with a curve out at the end, which is open. The other end has a bar across which is 127 cm long. The one side of this bar extends out the side. The other one is flush with the long pole. There is a metal rod or brace 56 cm across from the bar to the side. The distance between the two shafts is 93.3 cm. Another bar extends across the opening of the poles, above the other one. There are four leather slots, two on the side, one on each and two on the upper bar and there are four metal pulls, two on each side. |
Makers mark |
small plate mounted on the back of the seat has "T. B. Dowsley Maker Owen Sound, Ont." |
Provenance |
This cutter was manufactured in Owen Sound, Grey County, by Thomas B. Dowsley or the Dowsley Carriage Works. It is not precisely dated, but appears to be a 19th-century item. The previous owners told museum staff that the cutter had been in a log building owned by Wilfred Higgins of Sand Lake. |
Collection |
Transportation, Land: Animal-Powered |
Material |
Wood/Metal/Paint |
Dimensions |
H-41 W-41 L-77 inches |
Found |
Kemble, Township of Georgian Bluffs, Grey County |
People |
Dowsley, Thomas B. |
Subjects |
Carriage Factories Sleighs Owen Sound Industry Owen Sound Industries |
Search Terms |
Dowsley Carriage Works |
Function |
A lightweight, open, horse-drawn sleigh, introduced in the United States in about 1800. It usually had a single seat that held two people, but some contained a second one, which could be removed or jumped out of the way when not in use, for two additional passengers, and some had a child’s seat that folded out when needed. They have been made in many different styles, but most have gracefully curved runners and decoratively coloured bodies. Cutters are still used occasionally in winter as a form of recreational transport, most often in the northeastern United States. |