For nineteenth-century Chicagoans, carriages both provided transportation and served as very public symbols of one's status. Carriages ranged from very simple to very elegant, and showrooms around the city provided Chicagoans with many choices. Horses were also status symbols as the richest families had thoroughbred horses pull their carriages. The number and race of coachmen also reflected the city's social and racial hierarchies. In this picture, the coachmen, both African American, waited in the carriage in front of the Harvey family home. In 1880, Louis Moon and Julius Soppington, the Harvey coachmen, were two of the only eight African Americans living on Prairie Avenue, all of whom were working for homeowners and their families.

Photographer: Unknown
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-38202)