Mounted on shoulders, cradled in arms, tied to the back – human babies assert their cutesy importance early on in life. But, however fun babies might be, having to carry or hold them till the time they can manage to be on their own is a strenuous task.
Rational humans, clever minds, and necessity-driven inventors therefore came up with a means of easing the “pain” of carrying a child around. Various methods of transporting human babies have been around for quite a long time. Egyptian artwork from the time of the Pharaohs depict some form of such transportation, as does European art depictions of Mary carrying Jesus in a sling. However, it was the invention of thepram or stroller that became the most convenient modern day “transports” for the babies of the world to travel in.
Baby strollers have come a long way in a history that spans nearly three hundred years. But just how far have they come? At first glance, you may think that today’s active strollers have nothing in common with the Victorian styled prams of the 1700s, but you may be surprised that they still share some very basic design features.
The evolutionary journey of the baby buggy is full of fits and stops, but it is a path clearly marked through history by several very big turns.
The time in history when the stroller took shape is not very far removed from the modern day.