Posted 10 years ago
mgleone
(10 items)
This trunk belonged to my great grandfather who lived from 1852-1931. I don't know too much about the history of this trunk other than it was his. It appears to be canvas covered and it's a pretty large trunk. It measures approximately 32 X 22 and 24" high or so. There is a pretty nice conditioned compartment tray inside and on the removable compartment there is hardware that is marked "Pat. Jan.11.70". There are no other markings on this trunk other than his initials and town, state handpainted on the lower side of the trunk. The latches have a number "4", but I am unsure what this means, if anything. The slats on the top go lengthwise, and there are crosswise leather pieces over the canvas yet under the wooden slats. Any information any of you could offer is most appreciated. I would like to know the approximate age or manufacturer of the trunk. I plan to get it restored and keep as original as possible, especially the canvas as it is monogrammed. Thanks!
Sorry but I cannot get the idea of where the fourth pic is taken from. On your other post there is a nice shot ot the interior lid but does not show this particular part. Still curious.
The item in the fourth picture is a compartment tray that lifts out of the inside of the trunk. In my other post I did not include it so that the condition of the inside of the trunk could be seen. There is a bracket on the compartment tray that holds it in place.
Hello, that's a very nice trunk you have. These were originally called Barrel Top trunks by most of the trunk makers and most list them that way in the old catalogs. Some makers also called these large round top trunks a "Saratoga trunk". Today I see many people using the terms dome top and camel back, but I have never seen those names in the old trunk catalogs or patents. Most trunks such as this will have a variety of patented hardware, some is marked and some is not. The front latches were patented in 1878 and the number 4 is the size. These were made in sizes 1 through 5. Those latches were used by many trunk makers into the early 1900's. This trunk was most popular from the early 1880's to about 1900 and could have been made any time in that period. Most trunks do not have the manufacture date on them, so it's very hard to narrow the date down much more. It's a very nice tray and that certainly adds to the value. The canvas trunks of this style are harder to find than the metal covered models. Many trunk makers did not put labels on all their trunks, and many made trunks of this style. There were many more trunk makers in the U.S. than most people would realize... hundreds of them. Enjoy your trunk!
Great trunk! I particularly love the inside tray. You don't see them like that very often. This is a wonderful family heirloom.