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OUR COLLECTIONS
Vintage Prams &
Pushchairs
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Alex Parsons and her husband Tony are two of our newest members.
Alex has a collection of period prams that is quite unique and attracts
a lot of attention when she brings them to our events. She even
restores them herself. Here, Alex tells us about her collection:
I
started collecting prams in 2003 just for show in the house
we have. I started with a Silvercross Regent Dolls Pram. Then we decided
to try for a baby two years ago and wanted a vintage baby pram: one that
would turn heads. So we travelled from Nottinghamshire to Kent to
pick up a beautiful 1950 Swallow. I sold this on for personal reasons
but realised I had a love for old fashioned prams - so Tony told me to
buy another as I was upset I had parted with it. (I bet now
he wishes he had kept his mouth shut!)
I love
the old fashioned shape of period prams; the quality and the comfort
these prams give. How many of today's prams and pushchairs will be
around in 60 years? The craftsmanship is breathtakingly beautiful in my
eyes. Like a vintage car! I wanted to collect more.
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Above: Alex modelling
her favourite Silvercross Pram at Renishaw Hall, June 2008 |
I
started to do the odd small repair job just to make them more
cosmetically appealing. I then went to Stoke to buy a 1950 Marmet,
followed by a 1940 old, battered Silvercross that was in need of a
complete overhaul. This one I decided I would have a good go at. Here is
what I had to do:
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I
stripped it down to the bare basic shell. I had to use a mask as the
older prams had lead paint coverings.
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I
then painfully & slowly resprayed it Black, layer after layer.
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The chrome on most is often Shot. This is expensive to correct, so I
leave it as it is (chrome paint looks cheap and nasty on).
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Often these prams have horse hair fillings which I take out as they
are full of vintage dust, muck and germs. The mouldy smell is often
caused by the horse hair filling getting damp.
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The hoods and aprons are nearly always frayed, ripped or broken.
These, too, are not easy to replace. I had a number of goes, but have
yet to perfect this to the standard I would like.
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I
had newer but vintage tyres put on and painted the wheel rims Black
& Silver.
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Leather support straps were made by a local cobbler.
I
would never part with this one as such a lot of dedication and hard work
went into it.
Just
the time spent basically cleaning up old prams is hard work, as there is
often 50 to 60 years worth of grease, dirt and scratches on them. To
restore a pram fully takes hundreds of pounds. As they were coach built
made in factories, a lot of the work was professionally done.
Restoration often looks easy, but on trying, proves very difficult. So I
basically I clean and touch up the prams and pushchairs so they look
cosmetically good for re-enactment purposes. I do get some prams and
pushchairs that hardly need much doing to them at all.
Although not to today's British Safety Standards I would put a baby in
these prams as I feel they are safe to use. I'm not a professional at
this so keep my prices affordable, e.g. a professionally restored 1940
pram was
sold for £3,500 to Harrods in early 2008.
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Above: the pushchair
collection at home |
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The
prams
I currently own:
I
now have NO DINING ROOM but what I do have is 8 prams: 6x babies, 2x
dolls; and 4 pushchairs
1 x 1940 black Silvercross
1 x 1940s London Baby Carriage
1 x 1955 Royale
2 x 1930/40 French Bucket Prams
Other items:
1
x 1940 pushchair display of coal, wood and vegetables
1 x pram seat
2 x vintage feeding bottles
1 x baby gas mask
1 x potty
Sun canopies
Original photographs of babies in prams |
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Displaying the collection
As I
wanted to show my prams off, but had no baby to do so , I "borrowed"
Libbie, a relative's child, and attended Crich Tramway Museum at Easter
2008. Wow! I was in my element!
People were coming to admire
the pram and not the baby. I got such a buzz explaining about the prams
and the work involved. The smile on my face said it all. I met Wayne &
Maggie who took an interest and said I could join the group.
I have
since purchased an original Nurse Maids 1940 outfit from Lord & Lady
Tankervilles Northumbrian estate and also added a hat and cape coat to
finish off the Nanny style look. This finishes off the display of the
prams to its full potential. |
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Above: Alex in her
nurse maid's outfit at Crich, easter 2009
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Above: The £61 "boy reborn"
- it REALLY is a doll |
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I
have four Reborn dolls at present which I use in my prams.
I started with Grace and William then recently purchased Poppy and
Little Maggie. Poppy & Maggie sit in the deeper French Prams.
My prams are priceless as they are vintage items. I will start
displaying the prams and pushchairs this year and will have a number
of them on sale. Some have work to be done on them, so if anyone
fancies a go themselves, you are welcome to purchase one from me.
You can contact me if you
want to know more. |
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