This is a continuation of the series on early luggage. You
may find my first post titled “Carpetbags
and Portmanteaus” written in March, 2024, by clicking
HERE
Luggage
in the mid-to-late nineteenth century meant some form of travel trunk. They were most commonly used for extended periods away from
home or long trips abroad. Trunks, with their more rugged construction designed to
hold up during travel, are different from lighter-weight chests, which were intended for
storage.
Travel
trunks were large and cumbersome boxes which, even when they were empty, could
weigh more than a hundred pounds. Anyone wealthy enough to travel hired servants
to move and load these trunks. Porters and bellhops bore the burden of moving them
while travelers were in route.
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1890s trunk converts to a dresser
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In
the nineteenth century, trunks were often crafted with the best materials and
designed to withstand the harsh conditions of early modes of travel. Steamships
and stagecoaches were the main method of transport at the earlier time,
followed by railroad. Trunks had to be exceptionally sturdy and heavy to
withstand their journeys. They were decorated with leather and fine upholstery,
cross sections and slates of painted wood, and heavy duty metal, such as brass,
hinges and clasps, and leather coverings to resemble the style of furniture at
the time. They often included personal inscriptions and manufacturer’s details.
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Hat Box Trunk
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However,
all these materials that made trunks durable also made them heavy. Many trunks
were so heavy and bulky that, in many cases, those traveling by stagecoach were
usually not allowed to load their trunks onto the stagecoach. Stagecoach passengers
with trunks were often were required to make arrangements with a freighting
company to transport the trunks and steamers separately. That was why many such
travelers also carried necessary items in a carpetbag or portmanteau, which
could be loaded onto a stagecoach.
Long-distance
travel, especially before the days of the railroads, was usually an involved
process. In instances where an individual or family emigrated across the ocean
to a new country, they brought everything of value packed in their trunks.
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Saratoga Trunk
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Most
early trunks were designed with a rounded or dome-shaped top—probably for
stability and durability to withstand other heavy items being piled on top. Trunk
styles including barrel-tops and Saratoga steamer trunks, often included
elaborate tray systems for transporting and storing a full range of items.
There were many styles of trunks such
as, Jenny Lind, Saratoga, monitor, steamer or cabin, barrel-staves, octagon or
bevel-top, wardrobe, dome-top, barrel-top, wall trunks, and full dresser
trunks. These differing styles often only lasted for a decade or two.
Steamers
differed from other trunks in order to comply with steamship regulations.
Typically, they were fourteen inches tall with flat to slightly rounded tops so
they could be tightly stacked within the ship’s berth during transport.
Top
quality steamer trunks designed for travel on steamships were made of wood and
leather. They often had a heavy iron base to prevent the trunk from being
crushed while sliding around among other heavy trunks. They were also covered
in canvas, leather, patterned paper, and often tree sap to make them as
waterproof as possible as a protection against leaky ships.
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Cabin Trunk
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Cabin
trunks were smaller versions of steamer trunks. Designed with low
profile tops to fit under seats, they were considered the carry-on luggage of
the time.
Cabin trunks often included several compartments to store valuables that would
otherwise be kept in the main luggage hold and subject to theft or damage.
One
producer of high-end luggage was Louis Vuitton of Paris, France. He made a name
for himself in the mid-1850s by introducing his slat trunk, considered a
pioneering design. Although he died in 1892, his trunks are considered valuable
collectors’ items.
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Louis Vuitton steamer trunk
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His trunks were covered in canvas sheathing, held well-designed drawers and had a flat top
that made stacking much easier. This was a departure from the typical travel
trunks of the day, which had rounded tops.
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Seward Trunk Company factory in Petersburg, Virginia
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Seward Trunk
Company was founded in 1878 in Petersburg, Virginia. It was once the largest
manufacturer of steamers, trunks, footlockers, and other luggage in the United
States. The original company has gone through a few buyouts and consolidations.
The original factory was put on the National Register of Historic Places, but
it burned to the ground in 2018.
The use of
classic trunks for luggage was widespread through the first two decades of the
twentieth century but began to fade in popularity thereafter in favor of the
modern suitcase.
Footlockers were
a form of trunk used by the military. I still have my father’s old footlocker
from his years in the Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force. Although lighter weight
than the old heavy wooden trunks of the nineteenth century, I would not want to
carry it far. It is quite a departure from the old knapsacks and haversacks
carried by soldiers in the nineteenth century, which I featured last month. You
may find that post by clicking HERE
I first wrote
about travel trunks in Jocelyn's Wedding Dilemma, my book
in The Matchmaker and the Mother-in-Law series. To find the book description
and purchase options for both ebook and paperback, please CLICK HERE
My heroine in Florence's Good
Deed also traveled. Although she only carried a carpetbag, her beautiful
cover shows several examples of early luggage. To find the book
description and purchase options for both ebook and paperback, please CLICK HERE
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trunk_(luggage)
https://theoldtimey.com/vintage-luggage-trunks-hat-boxes-early-suitcases/
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/the-history-of-luggage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Vuitton_%28designer%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seward_Trunk_Co
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