Old steamer trunks found sealed in my mom's attic wall. | ||
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Posted 10 years ago
thegirlnex…
(5 items)
These old trunks were found full of WW2 uniforms, personal effects, school books and baby clothes circa 1900's. Would love to know more about the trunks themselves...who might have made them, value, etc.
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Please post some pictures of the uniforms and personal effects. Would love to see them.
trunkmanis a CW member, he will be able to help you.
A couple of lovely old trunks from circa 1900. The first is a standard flat-top trunk and the second is a barrel top trunk (I think -- a bit hard to tell with the pic). The first one has a few nice features like extra brass rivets on the wood slats and two nice guides on the front to help close the trunk properly. The second has the nice dogwood floral pattern on the slat clamps. As for makers -- unless there are labels inside the trunks you will be hard pressed to know who made them as there were many makers at the time making similar styles and shapes and they bought their hardware from out-sourced suppliers. Nice quality lock on the second trunk. Thanks for the post -- what an exciting find!!!
Thank you so much to all who posted! Joima...I would love to post more pics of the treasures I found in the trunks (some were kind of funny...a very long lock of a woman's ? hair (nope, didn't keep that) and a holey flour sack looking bag stuffed with ancient, dusty feathers (nope, didn't keep that either) if I could figure out how to attach them to this collection! I'm brand new & having a little trouble with that. Also, a few things I couldn't identify...then I showed some to my mother in law, who of course lived during part of that era & knew what the items were! So cool.
Oh, and a couple more comments about the trunks: The second one is indeed a barrel top, and covered with a tin? covering. Both have lift out drawers inside. One thing I particularly like about the flat top one is that it is lined with cedar. Still smells lovely after all these years!
Great find!
Add your other items as new posts, as we would like to see what you found.
I have not known of a trunk (aka traveling chest) lined with cedar from the manufacturer. Cedar chest, yes, but not one expected to be loaded and unloaded for travel. Has to be too heavy. Anyone else? Both are great finds..and sealed in the atic wall??? How could that be? Under the dormer perhaps?
Trunkingforfun...well, the flat top trunk is INSANELY heavy, even empty, so I suppose it is possible. Not saying you are wrong, just wondering how the cedar smell got in there...At any rate it smells very strongly of cedar, as did all the items we took out! And the trunk does have several labels on it, for various places in the US, so I presume someone did use it for travel, at least a few times. We did not find any loose pieces of cedar in it...so I wonder how they got the smell in if it is not cedar lined. So there is a dormer on the south side of the house (It is an Arts & Crafts (craftsman) bungalow remodeled in 1920. The main part of the house was built in 1896 and incorporated into the 1920 remodel. The family who owned the trunks would have bought the place around that time (I think!). Anyway, there is a large L shaped cubby hole behind the closet just to the west of the dormer. We had discovered the trunks as kids when playing in the cubbies (there are several cubbies in the north wall of the room as well...my mom has rented this house for over 20years) but never moved them, as they were (and are) very heavy. When the owner, who is elderly, (baby of the family, no wife or kids) decided to sell the house & was not interested in the trunks (can you believe that?!) I remembered them & offered to kindly take them off his hands! ;)
Oh, no doubt the cedar is there. It is a wonderful aroma. I just think it was added later. after the traveling was done. A new purpose for the trunk. I have a barrel stave trunk that is metal covered and have been unable to decide how to finish it. I love the ocre and cherry of your trunk so now that is my plan. Thanks.
I do have a wall trunk that the body was made from cedar -- rare but it did happen.