About the Carriage Association of America

The Carriage Association of America (CAA) was founded in 1960 and is the oldest and largest international organization devoted to the preservation and restoration of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs. We have introduced thousands of people to the wonders of collecting these vehicles and the pleasures of driving them. We help our members discover the beauty and charm of a lifestyle that has all but vanished from our modern world. The CAA is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization with a mission of maintaining a nonprofit association for the exchange of information regarding all aspects and use of animal-drawn vehicles and as an accurate source of technical information for the benefit of its members and the general public.

The Founding Members of the CAA had a bold dream, believing that there were many fellow carriage enthusiasts in the nation, and knowing that, if they were brought together, the shared knowledge would benefit us all. The Mission Statement drawn up by these founders has remained the strong backbone of the organization ever since.

One of the association’s early presidents, Sidney Latham, wrote in a letter to the membership: “We cater to those who love the memory of that historic age when horse-drawn vehicles fulfilled so many needs of mankind.” He continued, “We strive to be historically accurate, currently informative, and helpful to all who share our appreciation of things that were.”

The Carriage Journal, our official publication, has been distributed to our members without interruption for more than fifty years, and contains informative articles about a wide range of subjects: carriage and driving history, restoration, preservation, driving, harnessing, and news about CAA meetings and events. The Carriage Journal also introduces its readers to many of our members and their collections, and visits some of the great museums around the world.

The CAA also maintains the world's largest research library dedicated to carriages.  The CAA library maintains a non-circulating collection of approximately 2,500 books and trade catalogs, in addition to a large collection of prints, photographs, carriage blueprints, trade journals, and other resources.  The CAA receives numerous research requests each week which are fulfilled by the CAA librarian on carriage manufacturers, history, provenance, and general carriage questions.