Char-á-Bancs

A charabanc is a four-wheeled Hungarian-type vehicle, driven by a team of five horses without servants. It was purchased by Roman Potocki in the renowned Vienna coach building firm of Jacob Lohner. This stylish carriage has a simple black body filled with an imitation of basket braid and identical three two-person seats arranged one behind the other. The front bench for the driver has a wedge seat, while two other benches are only provided with flat seat mattresses. All of them have back rests with narrow upholstered boards and metal side railings, upholstered with dark blue cloth. The last bench was intended for two servants. On the sides of the front seat, there are lanterns and a manual brake. At the sloping front footstool, there is a wooden front fender with metal handles placed on the sides. Next to the last seat for the servants, there are short horizontal mudguards made of wood and a wicker basket for umbrellas and walking sticks. This Hungarian charabanc pulled by a team of five horses: two horses at the drawbar (directly behind the carriage, on the sides of the drawbar) and three in hand (three horses in a row at the front) in a stylish Hungarian harness was driven by Archduchess Stephanie, Archduke Rudolph’s widow (heir to the Vienna throne), during the visit to Łańcut in 1897. The Hungarian style charabanc of the Potocki family in Łańcut, preserved in the original condition, is one of few vehicles of this type in Europe. Aldona Cholewianka-Kruszyńska