| Whips were necessary articles of everyday life prior to the invention of the automobile. They were used in the driving of a horse and buggy or wagon to keep the horses moving, or to speed them up when necessary. Whips were made from strips of leather. The whip exhibited here was known as a blacksnake whip. It derived its name from the general look of the leather strips which were woven around an iron rod to form the whip's handle. As can be seen clearly in the image below, the woven leather strips created a pattern that resembles a snake's scaly skin. This example of the whip is incomplete. It measures approximately two feet in length, but would have originally extended to six to eight feet. |
