Booby Hut

"Booby Hut" is a term used in New England to describe a sleigh with an enclosed body. Although "booby" is a pejorative reference to an imbecilic person and "hut" meant an enclosed space, this curiously negative nomenclature was applied to an elegant and often expensive vehicle. This booby hut has a chariot body hung on leather braces. The upper quarter panels are black; the lower panels and runners are maroon with vermilion striping. The silver-plated door handles are shaped like a knotted bow and are decoratively incised. Red silk shades are hung at the side and front windows which can be drawn for privacy. Stable shutters in a blond and dark wood with two pierced designs of the same motif as the external silver ornaments can also be raised. The interior is beautifully trimmed in a ribbed red velvet plush. The ceiling is covered with a pleated, figured red damask with a rosette center.