Posted 1 year ago
kaiserlives
(31 items)
It is marked Nov. 8 1864 ..Do you think it is that old ? lined with paper inside and out...How should i restore it ? leave it or strip it and clean it up ? Any advice would be great...Thanks
-
Fashion
Fashion Categories
Breaking Vintage News
-
The Killer Mobile Device for Victorian Women
Adrift in a sea of digital apps for every imaginable function, we often feel our needs are met better today than in any previous era. But consider the chatelaine, a device popularized in the 18th century that attached to the waist of a wo…
-
If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
The mysterious packages kept arriving, some from eBay, others from the Home …
-
-
Design
Design Categories
Breaking Vintage News
-
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The meerschaum pipes carved in Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century are among the most bizarre and improbable concoctions in decorative art. Some feature …
-
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
While researching her book, "Killer Stuff and Tons of Money," Maureen Stanton came across all sorts of characters. For years, she shadowed her antiques-dealer friend …
-
-
Machines
Machines Categories
Breaking Vintage News
-
Bizarro Beauty Products, from 1889 to Now
We tend to think of the union of vanity and technology as a particularly modern affliction. It's only recently that science brought the world botox and collagen injections, skin peels, liposucti…
-
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Vintage kites from all over the world hang from the ceiling and walls of Richard Dermer’s popula…
-
-
Culture
Culture Categories
Breaking Vintage News
-
Pin-Up Queens: Three Female Artists Who Shaped the American Dream Girl
It’s easy to think of pin-up art as a charming relic of the old boys’ club—images that might line the walls …
-
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
It’s not unusual for men of a certain age to have a soft spot in their hearts for the look of vintage guitars and the sound…
-
-
Collectibles
Collectibles Categories
Breaking Vintage News
-
Tokens for Sweethearts, in Times of War
A keepsake, an item that recognizes a loved one, strikes a deep, sentimental chord in each of us—particularly that of a sweetheart. The popularity of keepsakes grew in the United States during the period from 1917 to 1919 as our country ent…
-
American Picker Dream, Part I: Mike Wolfe On His Love Affair With Bikes
I was walking to school one day and saw all these bikes in the garbage. I was just amazed because I didn't have one and I found it incredible that anyone was throwing them out. So I gathered…
-
TrunksAntique trunks, also called traveling chests, were originally used as lugga…
That is lovely civil war era trunk you have. A case could be made for keeping it as original as you can, and trying to conserve the paper covering. Unfortunately it looks like the paper is in pretty rough shape, and I would not know how you could restore its original look other than trying to re-paper it. Perhaps another contributor could comment on the feasibility of such an undertaking(maybe there is a way to recolor the paper). I really love the look of these trunk when refinished. Taking the paper off is a relatively easy task, and the pine wood underneath looks great. I have almost an exact example of a refinished trunk similar to yours on my site if you want to check it out. Mine was covered in leather so it has a reddish hue to it -- yours will be a lighter blonde color. Your trunk is in between the two choices -- a bit of a dilemma. Try to preserve its history and originality or improve its look and ascetic quality. The question then lies in what use you intend for it and how much energy you want to devote to the task. Either way it will remain a great trunk! Make sure you show us the end result!
Thanks trunkman....Im going to take my time and figure out what do do with this !
I responded to your comment on my post and I added a picture of a trunk that I believe would resemble the finish on yours if you choose to take that route. Long live the Kaiser....
I am just finishing a similar trunk with two latches. The Nov 8, 1964 marking was on the paper and is the same for many trunks finished with that paper style. The same marking was on mine and although the paper was in rough condition, I was able to photograph the date. Mine was made by a Baltimore trunk maker who was only in business a couple of years. The trunk has refinshed very well and I have found that it is quite sturdy for the age. Great find on your part. Enjoy the process