Trunks, Luggage, Traveling Bags, & Satchels

The variety of packing trunks and carrying bags for salesmen, tradesmen, bankers, doctors, and travelers that are shown here will astound you. Whether of light or heavy weight, large or small size, and specific or general purpose, they all were made with a job in mind. Taken from the pages of sales catalogs of the 1890s, these illustrations are advertising pieces to the new mail-order business. They evoke the time when objects were made to last forever, and today there are trunks, luggage, and bags of these types available in the antiques market. The Price Guide reflects what their values are today.

Currently, and in the past, trunk makers have uniquely designed several shapes and sizes of trunks. Various wood such as Cedar, Oak, and Pine were used to construct trunks and luggage. Many trunk makers from the 1600's covered trunks with hides such as deer, horse or cowhide. Brass ornaments such as tacks, nails, and locks were used in the 1700's to decorate the trunks as well as to differentiate the uniqueness of the trunk maker. Several hours and days were spent designing and constructing trunks. Trunks were made for the circus, travelers, salesmen, storage, and many other purposes.

Below is a timeline of a variety of trunks dating from 1770-1930.

	Hide covered or Stagecoach trunk. Hand wrought iron handles and lock. Often has hair on the hide. Many have brass tack decoration and Initials. Ca. 1770 -1840
	Leather covered Civil War Era trunk. Usually with leather covering. Often has compartments in the lid. Ca. 1850 - 1865
	Jenny Lind style trunk. Distinictive keyhole shape when viewed from the ends. Named after the entertainer of the era. Generaly leather covered. Rolled steel reinforcing straps about 1" wide. Sometime has large brass buttons. Ca. 1845 - 1870
	Curved top trunk. Leather, paper, or canvas covering. Some have fancy brass lockplates. Thin hardwood reinforcing slats. Ca. 1850 -1870