Greppert & Kelch Einspänner: a clockwork horse carriage

A single horse at full gallop: this delicate clockwork carriage was made by Greppert & Kelch in Brandenburg, Germany. The firm began making toys in 1919, when horse-drawn carriages were still a familiar sight.

In German, a carriage drawn by one horse is called an Einspänner. The same name is used for a Viennese coffee topped with whipped cream. The drink is traditionally associated with coachmen waiting beside their carriages: the cream helped keep the coffee warm.

Small details like these connect a toy to the everyday world it came from. This example belongs to the KallisToys Museum Collection. Have you come across another Greppert & Kelch carriage?

Story and research by Hans van Dissel.