Hearse: What's the deal with the scroll symbol on the side?

[Pessor]

In watching the Presidential funeral proceedings at lunch yesterday, this was the discussion that some friends and I were having. I’ve seen plenty of hearses in my life, and they all seem to have that semi-“s” shaped scroll where the side windows would be. Is this tradition? Decoration? Any clues would be appreciated!

[Joey_P]

I belive I’ve heard that it’s supposed to look like what they used to use to lower the coffin into the ground.

[Ike_Witt]

Here is a picture in case some people can’t visualize what the OP is asking.

[Cub_Mistress]

I think those are called landau bars. Here’s a picture, though in this case not on a hearse.landau bars The ones you refer to are decorative but at one time landau bars were used to raise the top of the hearse, I think.

[Ike_Witt]

Cub Mistress has it right, at least according to a hearse enthusiast organization.

From here

For the 1938 model year Sayers & Scovill introduced the industry’s first landau or victoria-style hearse, featuring a heavily-padded leather or vinyl roof with a blind quarter panel decorated by S-shaped irons inspired by those used to lower the tops on horsedrawn victorias in the 19th Century.

[Pessor]

Thanks for all that. But I guess I’m wondering why they still bother. Is there such thing as changing the design, or will hearses always look the same? Must be just as traditional as wearing a tie to a funeral. We just thought it was odd.

[BrotherCadfael]

If I recall correctly, when Harold customized his Jag into a hearse in “Harold & Maude”, landau bars were part of the package…

[postcards]

Didn’t Harold have a Corvette?

[stockton]

The hearse was a Jag:

"She has his hearse demolished and buys him a Jaguar; he turns it into the best-looking hearse I have ever seen. "

from: http://www.geocities.com/evil_spoon/haroldandm71.htm

[Duckster]

@BrotherCadfael

If I recall correctly, when Harold customized his Jag into a hearse in “Harold & Maude”, landau bars were part of the package…

Ah, Harold and Maude!!

[Santos_L_Halper]

@BrotherCadfael

If I recall correctly, when Harold customized his Jag into a hearse in “Harold & Maude”, landau bars were part of the package…

Quite so…

[Ike_Witt]

@Pessor

Is there such thing as changing the design, or will hearses always look the same? Must be just as traditional as wearing a tie to a funeral. We just thought it was odd.

I’m going to guess that the landau bar is an iconic association with the funerary industry. I assume it to be akin to the barber pole and the three balls for pawn brokers. They have no real connection to us today, but in the past they were probably more widely recognized. Now those sorts of things have a cultural inertia behind them that keeps them going, even if the origin is lost on most of us.

[Pessor]

@adam yax

I’m going to guess that the landau bar is an iconic association with the funerary industry. I assume it to be akin to the barber pole and the three balls for pawn brokers. They have no real connection to us today, but in the past they were probably more widely recognized. Now those sorts of things have a cultural inertia behind them that keeps them going, even if the origin is lost on most of us.

Excellent analogy, adam yax! Thank you for that…

[Cervaise]

@Pessor

I’m wondering why they still bother.

As adam yax says, cultural inertia is a powerful thing. I’m guessing we’ll still be saying we “dial” a phone number for decades after the last person who stuck his finger in a hole in a rotating disc on the front of a telephone has died.