How To Repair Or Replace A Trunk Floorof A Steamer Trunk
Trunk FAQs & Body Myths
In this section I will list some of the most common questions I receive almost trunks as well equally some outrageous trunk myths!. By reading these you will learn a bully bargain nigh trunks, and trunk history.
Trunk Myths & FAQs
Wrong, or made up, information most trunks is what I call "Trunk Myths". This wrong information has been circulating for a long time. In that location are 3 reasons for this, one is that these torso stories are romantic, and audio plausible. The other reason is what I call the "Magical World wide web" People seen to think that whenever they need some information, they simply Google information technology!, and it magically appears on their computer. Non so, someone actually has to do the research, then put it where you can access it. When these intrepid torso owners find no information on their trunk (considering in that location is very trivial to find) they put their find on eBay, and say how rare it is considering they constitute zippo similar it during their 5 minute search of the internet. Or, they quote a torso seller who has some good stories, and the myth continues. If y'all want to find " How The Roman Catholic Church Influenced the Design of Baroque Furniture", yous will detect reams of data. Trunks? Not so much. Why? Time. It takes many, many hours of searching to get even the smallest fleck of information. Information that can be chosen a fact, not a story. Oh, so try to tell Mr. body possessor that his "Rare Pre Civil War Unicorn Covered Hump Trunk" is actually a 1910 Sears catalog Canvas covered model. Adept luck! Listen, I could constitutional for days, but yous get the hint. Sometimes, people would rather hear a great story than the truth, and the truth is hard to get. Oh yes, the 3rd reason. Common sense. Some people just don't employ common sense. If they did these stories would audio ridiculous. I will elaborate more in the post-obit myth debunking. I spend time each day trying to find new facts almost antiquarian trunks. If I say information technology is a fact information technology is considering I accept data to dorsum it upwardly. Besides, some myths are so preposterous that common sense is nearly enough, and should be.
Myth
Round top trunks were made for the elite form, and because of their round tops, these trunks would be loaded terminal, and removed beginning.
What a load. At commencement read this story sounds like it makes sense. However, if y'all dig further you will see information technology is ludicrous. First, a large dome top can hands weigh 100 lbs empty!, and 200 lbs full. Porters (or baggage smashers equally they were called) did not care how much you paid for your trunk, or its shape. They were on a schedule to become the trunks loaded. And then, naturally the large, heavy trunks went on the bottom. How you inquire? They were nearly ordinarily put on their ends. What do you think the lock protectors, slats, and cast iron were for? Not just good looks. Round top trunks were made for the same reason anything is made. Looks first, functionality second. A round acme trunk looked great, and had more room. And no, information technology was not only for the "wealthy aristocracy" (who comes up with this garbage) Trunk makers, like whatever business, had a complete line of goods. These ranged from inexpensive packing trunks, to high priced Dome tops and Sole Leather trunks.
| began showing upwards in the 1870s, and they usually had 2 locks. OK, story time is over, time for some facts. After actual research I tin can tell y'all that Monitor Top trunks did not start showing upward until effectually the mid 1880s. The earliest reference I tin can detect for "Monitor" trunk are 2 from 1878, and these are non Monitor Top trunks. One, is a torso advertisement (no moving-picture show), and the other is from Goldberg Bros Trunk Co. catalog, 1878. The Goldberg Monitor (Right) looks zero similar the body in question, and the description of the other (encounter picture Below) sounds nothing like a flat pinnacle with rounded corners. Well-nigh Monitor Top body ads do NOT utilise the name Monitor. (meet above picture) In fact I have only found a couple examples (movie, and title) of these trunks being called Monitor Elevation trunks (see picture show bottom), and they are from the early 1900s. | Myth |
More oft they just draw the trunk (come across picture above) as having a flat top, and rounded corners, or a round top trunk. As far as the two locks goes, these trunks did have double locks much more than whatever other torso style, only no more than than near 10% had these. I give that percent after viewing hundreds of these trunks. People nowadays take a need to label everything, and make some fantastic connection with a proper name.
| | This is not to say that trunks were not named later a famous person, or thing. However, a trunk named Martha does not automatically hateful Martha Washington, it could have been the torso makers female parent. This does not notwithstanding, stop many from making this fantastic connectedness, and call information technology, not a possibility but, a fact. Some trunk makers did have names for their trunks similar Alice, Hector, America, and Dazzler. Other makers used numbers like No. 10 Canvas, No. X, and No. XX. However nearly referred to a trunk by what it was covered with, non its shape. Names similar, Zinc Covered Dressing Trunk, Admirer'south Sole Leather Trunk, and Waterproof Duck Saratoga were more common than Convex Meridian Zinc Trunk. (yes that is what they called the pinnacle in this ad) Most often people volition proper noun something long after it is gone as a ways |
of categorizing it, and well-nigh frequently they are wrong. Did you lot ever play that game in schoolhouse where you lot whisper something to the person next to y'all and they do it, and and so on? Then at the cease the last person tells what he heard, and it is zilch like the original statement? OK, at present add 130 years. Exercise I recollect the trunks that were named monitor have annihilation to exercise with the vessel? Sure, maybe. The USS Monitor was basically a tank on water. So, a torso with that name would infer a study, durable trunk. Notwithstanding, to blindly make a argument, and call it a fact, is reckless.
How tin can I date my trunk? We all want our antiques to be equally onetime as possible so, it is human nature to button the envelope. (why practise we lie well-nigh or age? hmm…) All, or some, of the tips can be used to assistance narrow down the historic period of your torso.
How one-time a body is can be a more heated word that talking politics. If you tin can come within a 5 to 7 year range, I believe you are doing pretty good. These guidelines are to help you narrow down the age of your torso. Call up all of this information overlaps, and there is no date, and time when 1 style was switched to another. There are also no absolutes, as in that location are always exceptions. Call back of this data as pieces to a puzzle, that when complete information technology is much more than revealing. To determine the approximate age of your trunk you will have to expect at a few things.
Coverings. What a trunk is covered with tin assist you narrow downwardly its age.
Pilus, Animal Pilus, or Hide covered trunks. These trunks were in use till around the early on 1800s. Usually smaller, with an animate being hide, such every bit deer, used to cover the exterior.
Zinc. Many trunks were covered with flat, or an embossed pattern (ordinarily geometric) of pure Zinc (metallic). If a trunk is Zinc covered information technology will have a gray appearance, and it will be non-magnetic. These trunks were prior to around 1880, and we see the ancestry of Zinc on the bottoms of Jenny Lind trunks from the early on 1860s.
Leather. Leather trunks accept "been around forever", but the early 1800s is when they started using tanned, tooled leather on trunks. However, they were pretty much out of the picture by around the 1890s except for a few high priced models, such equally Sole Leather trunks, which were still being made until nearly 1910.
Crystallized Metallic. These trunks started appearing around 1880, and went well into the 1890s or early 1900s. The cease looks similar crystals in the metal, and these were colored with lacquer. Gold was the most popular colour, but Silver, Cherry, Blue, Green, and Orangish were used too. Ofttimes the finish is very worn and those in excellent condition are difficult to find. Simply you tin can usually see traces of the original colors and crystal patterns around the edges and nether the lid.
Sheet. Sheet covered trunks started actualization around 1880, and went into the early on 1930s. The sheet, or Duck cloth, was painted to offer some waterproofing, and greenish being the most widely used color.
Embossed metal. Embossed metallic trunks with floral, alligator, Lions, Tigers, an Bears…sorry, coverings started around 1885, and went well into the early 1900s.
Latches or leather straps.
Torso latches were not in general employ until 1872. Whatever trunk with latches was fabricated after 1872. The strap, and dowel pin method (a leather strap, and buckle similar a belt, and a dowel pin used to proceed the lid from shifting side to side) was used prior to 1872, and even a piffling while later. (probably to deplete inventory)
Cantankerous slat trunks
The cross slat trunk design (this is where the slats go from forepart to back on the top and can become either way on the lower body) was patented by C.A. Taylor in 1880. This style trunk was called the "New Design" or "Cross slat", and was extremely popular, and made by many body companies. While trunks with this design were made later on 1880, some trunks with slats running lengthwise (side to side) on top were yet being manufactured. So, if your body is a cantankerous slat design, it was made afterwards 1880 and possibly as late as about 1915.
Patent Dates
Past law items such as locks, latches, slat clamps, etc. had to display a patent engagement if they were patented. This is very helpful in dating a torso. However, the police force as well states that items too small to put the appointment on were exempt and then, not all patented items take the date on them. Body locks will often have more than i patent. This is considering more one patent applies to the lock, or a patent was reissued. There may exist a patent appointment on the latches, the lock, the casters, slat clamps, and interior pieces. Plainly, the most recent date is the oldest the trunk can exist.
Q. I accept seen many trunks (including yours) that are all wooden, and others that have leather, or metal on them. I accept even seen a trunk site that calls these "wooden trunks". Were these trunks made this way?
A. No. Most times trunks that were covered with leather or canvas are beyond repair. The only thing left to do is remove all of the old covering, and finish the forest underneath. No travel trunks were produced without a covering of some sort. Weather information technology exist rawhide, leather, metal, carpet, canvass, or Hardwood slats, all trunks had something on them to protect the box, and for appearance. I have seen these trunk sites where trunks are described as "wooden" or having "wood panels". This is just plain wrong. If a refinished trunk is exposing the body box, something was removed. Think about it, a body maker would never expose the soft wood box to the elements. It would be like owning a car without a paint job. Your car would rust, and look terrible!
A. I too accept seen the term "Steamer" used incorrectly. About half of all people phone call whatever trunk a steamer torso. Many times people will telephone call a wardrobe torso a steamer. Nevertheless, a truthful steamer body is a low profile trunk, no more than about 14" high, but can be small or large in length. The size requirement was one the steamship company's imposed. Some makers too advertised that their trunk would fit under any booth on whatsoever ship. Trunks that were brought into your cabin were referred to as "On Voyage". Here is a quote from the R.M.Due south. Aquitania,
"Luggage wanted on the voyage must be limited in size to 14 inches in height, 2 feet in width; and 3 feet 8 inches in length."
The word Steamer is one of the most misused trunk descriptions.
Q. How former is my trunk?
A. This is a huge question, and impossible to answer without pictures of the body. Nonetheless, I can narrow things down a fleck. The majority of the trunks that people own today were made between the 1860s and the early 1920s.
Q. My groovy grandmother brought our trunk over from Ireland. Was my trunk made in Republic of ireland?
A. 99% of the time, no. A huge number of trunks were exported to Europe, and other countries for sale to those immigrating to America. It is kind of funny, thousands of trunks that went overseas for sale came home shortly later, and so we didn't lose many.
| Q. What is the difference between Camel-back, and Hump-dorsum trunks? | |
| | viii" high stove. A stove salesman would carry this with them from town to boondocks to show shop owners in the hopes the store owner would identify an society. The sample would have been the very best the visitor had to offering, as they would have wanted to showcase their stove making skills. What many people don't know is that as early as the 1860s, trunk makers were making small trunks and selling them as "Toy Trunks". These toy trunks ranged in size from ten" to 24" long, and were paper covered for around 50 cents, (1880s) to "Saratoga" form, leather covered, with solid Brass locks, for effectually $3.00. Keep in heed that at that fourth dimension a nice full size trunk could be had for around $3.00 to $4.00. And then, someone who could afford a $3.00 toy trunk for their kid was doing pretty good. And then, equally now, there are those that can afford opulent possessions. Today, there are a good bargain of these toy trunks floating effectually, and many of their owners are |
under the impression they have a salesman's sample trunk. People mostly phone call these Doll trunks, or Child's trunks, but in truth the term Toy Body was the most widely used term. Many others believe they take salesman's sample trunk because the makes label in the torso reads something like this "ABC Trunks. Makers of Trunks, Valises, & Sample Trunks". Many body makers made "Sample Trunks". These were trunks made to carry samples. If you were a traveling salesmen, you may have required a special trunk to showcase your wares, whether it exist toiletries, Tonics, or watches.
| Q. I have a metal covered trunk with a Gold crystal similar finish. I accept seen these before besides equally some with spots on the stop. What is this chosen, and do you know how information technology was washed? | |
Companion, 1879" " This method of ornamenting can appurtenances was at one time very fashionable; but like many other good things it has fallen somewhat into disfavor, probably owing to the "cheap" await given by junior piece of work. The process consists in various methods of bringing out or displaying the crystalline graphic symbol of can." While I can confirm that this process has been around (in America) from at least 1875, I believe it was done much earlier in French republic. I am still searching for proof. Crystallized Metal is therefore a chemical procedure which brings out the natural crystalline structure of Tin, (with acids) that has exist applied to sail Iron through dipping. Pure Tin plate was also used for smaller, less durable articles. Once the Tin has been "crystallized" it is coated with a transparent, colored Varnish. The complete process, (which is quite involved, and dangerous) of crystallizing Tin can has been authentically reproduced by myself. I incertitude few if any accept done this in the concluding 130 years. However, the crystal portion is only half of the process. The other half is coating the Can with colour. Now remember, you couldn't merely run down to the local paint store back in the 1870s. Some base of operations materials you could buy at the local drugstore, but the residual had to exist made from scratch. Most all colors were made from some kind of plant, or spice. (which is why companies like Due east India Trading Co. were then prolific.) Saffron, and Gamboge for Xanthous, Spanish Annatto, or Dragons Blood for Crimson, and then on. Dissolved in a solvent for days to weeks to pull-out the color, the color was then added to Lac (Lacquer), or a linseed blazon based varnish. These were then mixed or applied equally-is to the Tin. The translucent color, with the crystallized base, made for an amazing event.
There is another end on trunks that looks like a spotting, or "Mottled" advent. Other trunk restorers call this "Spots on spots", or "Spots", or another such featherbrained proper name. As near as I tin find, this appearance was originally chosen "Mottled" or "Marbled". I believe (from patent data) this process was done with a base color, on which another color was placed. Then, a hydrocarbon type solvent (gasoline) & clear Lacquer, was dropped, or "flung" across the surface of the metal. (Of coarse this was all done before the metallic was on the trunk. In fact companies sold this, and Crystallized Tin in sheets to torso makers.) The result is a multicolored, spotted design.
Q. I saw a trunk on eBay that the seller claimed was very rare because the wood had some press on if from a cigar co. Have you seen these? Are they valuable?
A. Yes, and no. Yes I accept seen what you describe, and no it does not add any value to the trunk. I'll explicate. When a trunks covering is too damaged to save, it is removed, (or in the case of too many sellers it is removed no matter what) and the woods underneath finished. Many times little "treasures" are found on the woods. Usually, these are express to pencil markings made by the torso makers such as panel #, trunk size, or in some cases the trunk makers name. (This ane about the trunk makers name is a whole other story) Sometimes printing is establish, such every bit the name of a company or a product. Sellers of these trunks tout this similar the finding of the Dead Body of water scrolls. The answer is much more unproblematic. OK, here is where some of that common sense, and bodily history, come into play. One time upon a time, there was a company chosen ABC Co. They made all sorts of do-dads, and gee-gaws. Their products were shipped, and stored in wooden crates, (like most companies of the 24-hour interval) and these crates had their name stenciled on them. Equally ABC got bigger, and/or their needs changed, they needed different crates. The owner of ABC went to the local mill and said, "I need thou new crates!" (retrieve Jolly Dark-green giant when reading that) The mill owner says "sure" and gives the owner a price. The owner agrees, and mentions that he has 500 old crates, and will the mill owner give him something off the bill for them. Of coarse he volition! Why? Because while trees are everywhere, cut lumber is not. The manufacturing plant owner knows that many of his customers volition gladly snatch these upward at a discount. The customers that buy these have the blazon of business organization where is does not thing what is written on the sometime lumber. Hmmmmm....what kind of business would apply these......come on... it'south not that difficult. Yeah! Body makers! As long equally the wood is sound, the trunk company can apply it for the trunk trunk as this will be covered by metallic, wood, leather, or canvas. While we are on the subject of wood used for torso bodies... Too frequently I read trunk sellers descriptions (again Ebay leads the manner for misinformation) most how their trunk bodies are made from some exotic woods. I read 1 the other day that claimed the trunk they were selling had a body made of Birch. Please! Here is where a trivial common sense, and actual information, comes into play. The requirement for a body body is that the wood be lightweight, and exist able to resist shrinking and swelling. These are the properties of Pino, and Basswood, which were the woods used overwhelmingly on body bodies. I have too run into Poplar a few times. Poplar is fairly easy to distinguish from other wood by its Green colour. The other large gene is toll. Trunk companies made thousands of trunks, using trainloads of lumber every week. They would never employ Birch, Walnut, Mahogany, or Redwood (Yeah, I accept seen all of these listed by sellers) for trunk bodies as it would be way besides expensive, and make the trunk heavier. A final discussion about wood. Likewise many people assume that all slats on trunks were made of Oak. In reality, nigh were not. In the mid to late 19th century Oak was being used for many finely fabricated products. Information technology was not cheap, and was non the wood near used on trunks for slats. In my research I could merely discover a very modest number of trunk makers that listed Oak every bit the wood used for their slats. The most common term was merely "hardwood slats" After that, Ask, Hickory, and Elm were the near common woods listed in advertisements, and catalogs. Most trunk sellers merits the trunks they are selling have Oak slats for two reasons. One, Oak sounds better than the others. Two, they assume it actually is Oak. Reason #two is understandable equally wood ID is very difficult. It tin exist next to impossible to ID a certain forest used on a trunk for slats. For example, take a sample of Oak, Birch, Ash, Hickory, and Elm. Now, depending on how the wood was cut at the factory (the three about popular cuts are, Plainsawn, Riftsawn, and Quartersawn) these 5 woods tin look similar they are all the same, or they can look totally different. A Plainsawn piece of Oak looks very much like what we believe Oak should expect like with its distinctive grain pattern.. However, a Riftsawn piece of the same forest does non wait like Oak at all. The color of the stain used on them, can add together to the difficulty of identification. Now, add 100 to 150 years, and the fact that the lumber cut back then was what was chosen onetime growth (which looks different from today's wood) and you lot have a nightmare trying to ID a sure wood, even when done by a professional. Lastly, many trunk makers would use the hardwood that was currently available, and at the best price. So, by listing it "Hardwood" they would not have to change whatsoever advertising, or catalog entries.
Source: https://hmsantiquetrunks.com/trunk-faqs--trunk-myths.html
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