What is the diagonal bar on a hearse for?

Interesting… apparently they are called Landau bars(automobile):

“In the 1920s and 1930s, especially in the United States, the term “landau” became used for a simulated convertible, in which a fixed roof of a sedan with solid rear quarters was covered with fabric or leather and fitted with side landau bars to make it appear like a convertible top. This became the commonly accepted definition of “landau” in North American usage thereafter.”

From the page on hearses: “More popular in the United States is the landau style, with a heavily-padded leather or (later) vinyl roof, and long blind rear quarters, similarly covered, and decorated with large metal S-shaped bars designed to resemble those used to lower the tops on some horse-drawn coaches.”

Maybe , in the words of Steven Tyler, it stands for “Going down”.

Originally considered public transtportation, an elaborate framework would be erected over a coffin or tomb to which memorial verses or epitaphs were attached. It was then put on the top of horse-drawn carriages, looking much like a luggage rack. Today, the original hearse remains acknowledged by the bit of scroll work or stretched-out “S” on the side of a funeral coach, called Landau bars.

@Headhurts You should correct that typo on the Wikipedia page! How embarrassing.

Thanks for the info, yall. :)

You only see the diagonal bar on hearses that are used to carry females.

Male death transport uses “Hises”

Female transport uses “Hearses”

lol

@glacial Well spotted, I never noticed it. Hey, how else would I know if I didn’t Google it!