Posted 11 years ago
laritchie
(1 item)
I just received an old trunk from my grandmother's house in Boston. I have no idea how old it might be. It does have a sticker on it from a railroad that is dated September 2, 1932. The story is that she used it to travel back and forth from New York to Boston for school. It has beautiful thick leather handles on each side of the trunk and a sticker on the top that says Royal Brand Trunks. If anyone can give me an idea of when these were made or the historical significance I would greatly appreciate it. I would love to clean it up so it can be passed down to more generations, but do not want to do anything that would take away any value.
Lovely old trunk from around the time the railroad sticker indicates. There were many companies making this sturdy units at the time, so it is fortunate that you have a makers label as most do not. These were covered with a lightweight "vulcanized fiber" material that has withstood the test of time. The marks on the leather handles most likely are parts markings. Those leather handles are usually the first things to go so nice that they are intact. These types of trunks were very common and there are still many around because they are so durable -- so unfortunately they do not hold much value, apart of course from the family history which sets it apart. Feel free to give it a good cleaning, being careful to preserve the stickers of course. A distinctive makers feature of your trunk are those big square guides at the front of the trunk beside the lock -- they give the trunk a great look and are a bit unusual. A great family piece and a higher quality nice example of this type of trunk -- thanks for the post and welcome to CW!
Thank you for all the information! The historical value is the most important part of the trunk to me. I am excited to have it and hope that one day my children will take as much interest in it as I did.