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| Herse |
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| Funeral Coach |
In
the funeral industry, a hearse is known as a funeral coach. The term
hearse (herse) is actually from the 13th century and referred to a type of plow. The word was also used for the
triangular form that held candles during religious ceremonies. These
“candelabras” were also placed on the top of the
coffin as the body was taken to its burial place.
Early History
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| Bier |
A
bier was the first type of carrying device used to move remains. Made up of a
flat wooden form, the body, wrapped in a shroud, or the coffin box was placed
upon this framework and carried by hand to the burial place. This framework
became known as a hearse: a way to transport the body or coffin.
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| Bier with Pope John Paul |
Biers
are still used today but are made of aluminum and have wheels for ease of
movement. Also known as a church truck, it is used to move the casket to and
from the church or funeral home.
Dignitaries and heads of state are also placed on biers to lie in state
before funeral services are held. These hand-carried
hearses evolved into horse-drawn wagons during the 17th century.
19th Century
By
the 19th century, wooden hearses were becoming more elaborate with intricately carved flowers,
doves and scrolls, and heavy velvet draperies hung on both sides of the carriage.
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| Crane & Breed Hearse Carriage |
Hearses
were usually crafted from mahogany wood. In 1850, Crane,
Breed & Company of Cincinnati began producing metal caskets. Four years later the
company was also building horse-drawn hearses.
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| Electric Trolleys |
In
the 1880s, the cities of Baltimore and Chicago each designed trolley funeral cars,
which ran on the electric trolley railways. These special trolleys were used to
transport a casket, and the mourners out to the cemeteries located
at the edge of town.
Early 20th Century
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| Crane & Breed Auto Hearse |
It
was not until the beginning of the 20th century and the invention of
the motorized vehicle that hearses received a tremendous updating. On May 1,
1908 the General Vehicle Company of New York rolled out the first electric
hearse. But by 1909, Crane and Breed had introduced the first motorized mass
produced funeral coach called the Auto Hearse.
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| A Ludlow Hearse |
This was also the first year that a totally motorized funeral was held. When Chicago resident Wilfrid A. Pruyn died, H.D. Ludlow, a local ambulance and funeral service, agreed to furnish a motorized hearse. Since Ludlow did not have one, he had one built by the
C.A. Coey Auto Livery Company. Coey adapted a horse drawn hearse by placing the
framework on the chassis of an opera bus.
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| 1920 Hearse |
The
1920’s brought about several changes and adaptions to the motorized hearse. In
1920, hearses were beginning to resemble the passenger limousine that was popular with the well to do.
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| Side Loading Cadillac |
Three-way
coaches were introduced near the end of the Roaring 20s. This allowed the
casket table to move in order to be loaded and unloaded from either side of the hearse,
or through the back door. Since streets were still unpaved, people liked the
convenience of being able to load and unload the casket out of the mud.
The 1930’s
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| Art Carved Hearse |
During
the Art Deco Movement of the 1930s, art-carved hearses became popular. These
hearses featured hand-carved wooden panels that resembled heavily draped
curtains and were placed on the side windows for privacy. This
style of hearse was made until the late 1940’s.
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| Landau Style Hearse |
In 1938, Sayers and Scovill introduced the landau style of hearse.
Landau is a term from the Victorian era, which meant carriage bars that could
fold and unfold, opening up part of the carriage to the elements. It was
adapted to the motorized vehicle creating a semi-convertible where the rear
quarter of the car could be opened up by folding the cover at the landau
joints.
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| Landau S Bar |
The
funeral industry embraced the look and the leather-backed hearse with its faux
landau bar became popular.
Today, the S-shaped landau bars are still visible on many hearses.
World War II
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| Converted Factory |
Funeral
coach production was on the increase when WWII broke out and factories
were converted for wartime production. By the end of the war, many funeral coach companies
had experienced financial losses and were forced to close.
Mid-Twentieth Century
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| 1975 Hearse |
After
the war, landau and limousine style hearses were both popular. Draperies lost some of
their intricate draping and became sleeker and straighter based on the look
of airline drapes. During the 1970’S, hearses were downsized due to the
gasoline crisis.
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| Rear Compartment |
Until
the end of the ‘70s, it was typical for a hearse to be built on combination
a chassis, (usually Cadillac) meaning that the professional framework was
constructed for use as a hearse or an ambulance. The rear compartment was then
fitted to carry either a gurney or casket.
Today
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| Van Hearse |
Funeral
coaches were downsized again at the end of the 1990’s and today some modern
fleets, especially in Europe include medium sized vans that have been converted
into funeral hearses.
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| Open Windows |
In
Europe, the limousine style is preferred with lots of glass and few draperies
allowing the windows to be unobscured.
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| Interior with Features |
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| Landau Style |
In
the U.S, the landau style is still popular, bearing the trademark leather or vinyl
roof with the faux S-shaped bars, and curtains at the windows. The windows may
also be frosted or opaque without curtains. Some hearses have skylights, sidewall
decorations and track lighting. Current versions are boxy in the rear,
resembling a car and van in the styling. The current cost of a hearse is
around $100,000.
So, if you're choosing, what
style of hearse would you prefer to take you on for your final ride?
~
Joy
