Model of carriage used by Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War, 1856 (c)

The carriage is black with four wheels, two high arched mud guards on either side of the central mounting step. Body is ribbed with wooden beams and painted to represent wickerwork. Hood painted black and covers entire surface including model figure of Florence Nightingale. Each wheel has 16 spokes painted with red central line, axel hubs covered with silver foil. Carriage and two wooden horses painted brown with fabric manes and tails, one of which has a wooden cut out rider wearing red tunic and blue trousers.

On her second visit to the Crimea in March 1856, the exertion of travelling to the scattered field hospitals took its toll on Florence Nightingale's delicate health and, to spare her riding, she was given a mule cart. This however overturned one night on the rough tracks and so Colonel William McMurdo of the Land Transport Corps presented her instead with this, her Crimean carriage, which also served as an ambulance. The original carriage is in the Collections of the Florence Nightingale Museum Trust.