quiz 5 (evolution of hearses and coffins)

Question 1

what was the first hearse

Answer 1

• a rake
• roman farmers plowed field with hiprex
• hiprex = latin for rake

Question 2

the “timeline” of the name changes of the hearse

Answer 2

• started as hiprex with the Romans
• Romans introduced it to Britain where it was called the harrow
• when Normans invaded Britain it was changed to hearse
• which is french

Question 3

why did the Normans change the name harrow to hearse

Answer 3

• it looked like their candelabras but upside down
• and candelabras were important to their funeral services

Question 4

15th century hearse

Answer 4

• 6 feet long
• many skewers for candles
• was a fine craft
• was used for lid of the coffin for processions

Question 5

16th century hearse

Answer 5

• when the english spelling of hearse took over (was herse)
• wheeled cart
• to hold the coffin and candelabra

Question 6

ancient times use of bier

Answer 6

hand stretcher on which the uncoffined body was carried to the grave

Question 7

change in biers

Answer 7

• becmae a hand pulled cart
• at first was specialized to move deceased
• flat wooden form
• forerunner of todays church truck or hearse

Question 8

the bearers of biers

Answer 8

• were oldest or most prominent men
• at least 4
• under bearers were additional 4 to tap in for og 4

Question 9

horse drawn hearse

Answer 9

• colonial hearses
• 17th century when called horse drawn carriage carrying casket in procession a “hearse”
• 1690 hearse became a necessity
• till 19th century hearse and bier interchangeable

Question 10

19th century hearses

Answer 10

• from wooden box to specialized vehicles
• for function then appearance
• were wooden (mahogany)
• elaborate carvings, velvet drappings, and plumes
• different colored horses represented different deaths

Question 11

crane, breed and company

Answer 11

• 1850 built metal caskets
• 1854 building horse drawn hearses

Question 12

20th century hearse

Answer 12

• remained horse drawn in 1st decade
• was more affordable than motorized
• early motorized hearses were unreliable and loud

Question 13

1st motorized hearses

Answer 13

• 1908 by General Vehicle Co the “electric hearse”
• 1909 by Crane and Breed Co the “auto hearse”

Question 14

funeral trolley cars

Answer 14

• street car
• more affordable if went past cemetery
• had room for casket and mourners

Question 15

three way hearse

Answer 15

• introduced by Henney and Eureka
• casket table opened through side or back doors
• curbside un/loading
• safer

Question 16

limo style hearse

Answer 16

• just meant a longer style car
• introduced in 1926

Question 17

victorian style hearse

Answer 17

• introduced by Sayers and Scovill in 1938
• Landau style hearse
• padded, leather, or vinyl roof
• landau bars = s shaped iron bars
• inspired by device on horse drawn hearses

Question 18

flower car

Answer 18

• appeared in 1940
• basically held a bunch of flowers on back

Question 19

combination coach

Answer 19

• 1970s gasoline crisis
• so combined ambulance and hearse “ambulherse”
• then gov. passed laws
• became to expensive

Question 20

coach =

Answer 20

luxury hearse

Question 21

coach brands

Answer 21

cadillac, lincoln, buick

Question 22

how a coach is made

Answer 22

• electrical system removed
• car cut in half (front/rear)
• fitted to long chassis
• connect halves
• paint
• electrical system and fluid lines reattached

Question 23

what was earlier burial

Answer 23

• body in bare earth (early egyptians)
• this was influenced by afterlife beliefs, culture, circumstances at the time, and financial status of dead

Question 24

origin of coffins

Answer 24

• greek word Kofinos which meant basket
• translated by french to coffin

Question 25

what were the english undertakers

Answer 25

• at first furnisher undertakers made coffins and other stuff
• funeral undertakers became just undertaker

Question 26

17th and 18th century burial in america

Answer 26

• early colonist buried directly in the ground
• some wrapped/shrouded and placed in a coffin
• cerecloth used

Question 27

early coffins

Answer 27

• made fo hardwoods, polished/stained
• anthropoidal shape w/ cloth

Question 28

early coffin shops and warehouses

Answer 28

• rapid growth after war 1812
• emphasis on funerals shifted direction of coffins (price, quality)

Question 29

variation in early function of coffins

Answer 29

• transformed to early coffin to modern casket
• had increased utility, show status, preserve body, protect from grave robbers, artistic, aesthetic

Question 30

materials and techniques used on caskets

Answer 30

• 1835: John White patent for stone/marble/hydraulic cement one
• 1836 James Gray patent for metallic coffin
• these die out since too heavy
• 1860 caskets made of iron, cement, marble, zinc, iron, glass

Question 31

Fisk metallic coffins

Answer 31

• air tight
• patented in 1848 by Almond Fisk
• form fitted with porthole for face
• expensive

Question 32

large scale manufacture of metallic coffins

Answer 32

• by Crane and Breed Mrg.
• introduced mass production of coffins
• claimed body preservation, protection from water, vermin, infection

Question 33

coffin vs. casket

Answer 33

• coffin = originally made of wood/plain, started as rectangle, 6-8 sided (anthropoid)
• casket = “burial case”, wood/metal, ornamentation, lined with fabric, word came from “iron caskets” for jewels

Question 34

metallic burial casket

Answer 34

• undesirable
• rectangle more appropriate
• start of “ogee” design to use less metal
• presents body not just encase
• cast iron -> lighter steel
• casket replace coffin

Question 35

Crane and Breeds improvements

Answer 35

• bronzed case with bronze finish
• ornamental (cloth covering lower half/fringe)
• plain/octagon shape
• rosewood polish
• fisk style fell out for pretty caskets

Question 36

cloth burial case

Answer 36

• patented in 1871 by Samuel Stein
• was light, strong, aesthetic
• 1890 merged with national casket co
• president ulysses s grant style “e” casket

Question 37

Also-Rans of the 19th century

Answer 37

• other caskets less popular than wood, Fisk, cloth covered, and metal coffins
• materials: cement, terra cotta, wood-cement, glass w/ iron, basketry
• style: cross shape, adjust sizes

Question 38

life signals/bury alive fear

Answer 38

• device in casket to send out sos
• many patented/not actually used
• embalming rid this fear
• coffin torpedo prevent body snatching

Question 39

burial vaults and outside containers

Answer 39

• early material: rock, stone, brick, concrete slabs to line grave
  -modern concrete vault cam e into being in early 1900s