Advertisement for Street Car and Omnibus made by John Stephenson of New York 1865 John Durand III This page with advertisements was taken from the 1865 book 'Grant and his Generals', written by John Durand. It shows two illustrations of omnibuses, designed by the renowned New York street car maker John Stephenson, who was the inventor of the omnibus. The engraving is a historic record of an important discovery in the field of commercial transportation in the United States during the nineteenth century.. Advertisement for Street Car and Omnibus made by John Stephenson of New York. 1865. Wood engraving. John Durand III (American, ca. 1824-ca. 1910). Prints