Unique photos: restored carriages back at Kasteel de Haar after over a century | Utrecht | AD.nl
They have been meticulously restored and are now back in the place where they served over a century ago: the historic carriages of De Haar Castle. For once, they were hitched up and this resulted in extraordinary images.
“One carriage was used to collect guests, the other to take a stroll in the castle park,” says curator Mario Broekhuis of Kasteel de Haar. “The baron and baroness spent most of the year in France. When they traveled here, the carriages and the whole household came with them on the train.”
The carriages were in use from 1870 until the First World War. After that, interest in the carriages waned. They sat in a depot in Groningen for 60 years until it was decided to renovate them. The carriages are an essential part of the castle life in the belle époque period.
Restoration with respect
Returning them to their original state was a huge task and was similar to restoring a painting by a master, explains curator Broekhuis. They were cleaned and carefully stripped of their varnish. The lacquer from back then is very different from what is used now. The upholstery is also different. “The materials were treated with respect and made presentable.”
The carriages are museum pieces and won't be used for just any ride. They will be exhibited starting next year. To bring history to life, they were harnessed for a special occasion on Saturday. The coachmen, dressed in historic outfits, completed the romantic images from a bygone era.
