• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

What Trim Shops Looked Like in the 1800s

May 21, 2020 By Nadeem Muaddi

The Hog Ring - What Trim Shops Looked Like in the 1800s

What did auto trim shops look like 150 years ago? See for yourself.

Photographer W. Burman of Fitzroy, a suburb in Victoria, Australia, snapped this photo a very long time ago.

It shows a craftsman and his family standing in front of a carriage workshop. The sign on the workshop is faded, but the words “Bailey,” “Painter” and “Trimmer” are legible.

The Hog Ring - What Trim Shops Looked Like in the 1800s

It’s not clear when the photograph was taken. Our best guess is sometime in the mid to late 1800s. That’s because it’s a carte de visite, a type of micro photograph that was invented in the 1850s, but fell out of fashion by the 1870s.

It wasn’t until 1908 when the first Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line in Detroit, Michigan, that carriages began to be replaced with cars and a new chapter in our craft’s long and storied history began.

Photographer Leigh McKinnon discovered and enhanced this beautiful carte de visite.

Related Stories:

  • Auto Upholstery in the Early 1900s
  • Auto Upholstery in the Early 1900s, Pt. 2
  • Auto Upholstery in the Early 1900s, Pt. 3

Filed Under: Archive, Industry History, THR Favorites Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior

Primary Sidebar

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Hyde Leather
  • Albright's Supply
  • Keyston Bros
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • MasterTech Expo 2026

THR Favorites

The Hog Ring - Meet Mitch Woloshchuk of Mitchs Kustoms

Meet Mitch Woloshchuk of Mitch’s Kustoms

Mitch Woloshchuk had always dreamed of … [more] about Meet Mitch Woloshchuk of Mitch’s Kustoms

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Auto Upholstery Trends

Will These Upholstery Trends Come Back? 1

Automotive interiors are in a constant state … [more] about Will These Upholstery Trends Come Back? 1

The Hog Ring - Lancia Orca steering wheel

10 Crazy Steering Wheels We Want to Wrap

So you think you're good at wrapping steering … [more] about 10 Crazy Steering Wheels We Want to Wrap

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Custom Headliner

10 Cool Custom Headliners on Instagram

For many auto upholstery shops, headliner … [more] about 10 Cool Custom Headliners on Instagram

The Hog Ring - Watch Carlex Design Trim a Mercedes C43

Watch Carlex Design Trim a Mercedes C43

I don't know about you, but Carlex Design's … [more] about Watch Carlex Design Trim a Mercedes C43

The Hog Ring - Auto Upholstery Community - Rad Rides by Troy 1969 Ford Torino

Rad Rides by Troy’s 1969 Ford Torino

When Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy … [more] about Rad Rides by Troy’s 1969 Ford Torino

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Keyston Bros Drops 10 New Carbon Fiber Vinyl Colors and They Pop
  • Trimmer Michael Andrew Piccolo Dies at 67
  • 2026 SEMA Show Registration Opens May 4
  • Nexus Fastening Co. Introduces Solid Gold Hog Rings for Luxury Cars
  • Everything We Covered in March 2026

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2026 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in