A correspondent sent this photo of a recently-acquired pushchair:
(Long-time blog readers will recall that we blur the faces of children here, and also remove any obvious identifying marks on photos, if clumsily.)
She writes:
i cant find anything on and i wanted to know some info on it. i found it at the dump just sitting there and i loved it so i brought it home.
Although I immediately suspected that this pushchair was from the 1970s, I’m not as familiar with this particular manufacturer as I am with others, so I checked with my European friend, who knows far more about Continental prams, and the 1970s era, in particular, than I do. She confirms that this is a late 1970s or early 1980s stroller, and mentions that the 1970s interior was most likely plastic, but, likely, will be woven fabric in a 1980s model.
Keep in mind, though, that pushchairs manufactured in the late 1970s were often still sold as new stock in the 1980s; models did not necessarily change every year as automobiles did, for example, in the USA.
Other distinctive clues to this stroller’s age include the frame, which is painted to coordinate with the color of the seat, and the plastic wheels, which look spoked, but are actually molded, as well as color-coordinated. The panorama hood is most often seen on Gesslein prams of this era, though Gessleins typically had plates that could be snapped in place to make the windows opaque.
Our correspondent notes that this is a “Hesba” pushchair. Hesba is a German pram manufacturer, and they still make prams rather like the one above. Here’s a current model, a Hesba Condor Coupé:
Hesba’s modern models have gone back to the wire wheels typically seen before the 1970s era, as well as larger tires. The frame is a bit sturdier, and a bit fancier, but the suspension system is quite similar, as are the brakes. Today’s models have more padding and more accessories, but the essential idea is much the same. It’s easy to see the shadow of the vintage model in this contemporary one. The only thing that’s been lost is that marvelous viewing window!
Congratulations to our correspondent for having rescued this treasure from — of all places — a dump! It’s wonderful to see that it is newly loved and appreciated, just when it might have been lost forever.
0 Response to “A Vintage Hesba”