If you lookup William Kent you will probably find out that he was born the 1st of January, 1685, died on the 12th of April 1748 and he was an architect, a landscape artist as well as a furniture designer. But not many people know that this multitalented man was the inventor of baby carriages.
In architecture, Kent is known for reinventing the Palladian style in England. In the field of landscaping he is known as the parent of modern gardening. He approached a natural style of gardening and you can see his work at Alexander Pope’s garden villa. As a furniture designer he was well appreciated and you can see his designs at the Hampton Court Palace or at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.
Kent was very appreciated in his time and he was asked by young ladies to design their dresses. Although he knew nothing about this domain, he managed thanks to his knowledge in the Five Classical Orders of Architecture.
His popularity grew and in 1733, William Kent was at the peak of his career. That is when Duke of Devonshire asked him if he could make a stroller for the Duke’s children.
Kent agreed to this challenge and he designed a stroller that had a shape similar to a shell and it was made out of wicker. It was pulled by goats, ponies or dogs and it was quite comfortable due to the springs added in the seats.
His carriage had a big success in the high society. At one point, Kent’s carriage became a symbol of the privileged and it was necessary to have a carriage that had a complicated design in order to have access in high society. And also these carriages were very heavy.
Years after Kent’s design, new models of strollers appeared and they had safety features like handlebars and brakes.
Who William Kent Really Is?
No comments:
Post a Comment