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 | Everywhere we are in here it is more beautiful and so clean! - Dale MacDonald, Shoreham, NY. |
Trunk Story
Many of these coverings have designs. The leather may be tooled. The tin may be embossed with flowers, shell patterns, alligator or many other patterns. Paper was often printed to look like tooled leather. Canvas was usually painted. Many early trunks were covered with horse or cow hide with the hair still on.
Some trunks are made solely of stiff leather called sole leather. Why sole leather? Was it because the trunks were made solely of leather or made of the kind of leather used on the sole shoe? Some are wood on the ends and leather on the top sides.
There were obviously many trunk makers and they all had their own styles. Trunks makers often copied each others styles and made trunks that were most in demand such as the mid 1850's when Swedish singer Jenny Lind came to America with a trunk in the shape of an hour glass. This style was reproduced by many trunk makers at that time and for years to follow. The Jenny Lind or Saratoga trunk prized for its shape, decorations and quality of workmanship became the standard of excellence in trunks and was produced for about twenty years.
Over the years decorations were added and improvements made. The wood was covered with leather to both decorate it and make it weatherproof. Brass tacks came into use in the late 18th century as a decorative item. You often find trunks of this period, 1770-1840, with brass tacks initials, lines, ovals, and other patterns. The tacks were individually cast and applied. Most trunks of these times had hand wrought iron locks, hinges, and handles. (Antique Trunks, How-To Refinish, Repair, Restore by Paul Pat Morse & Linda Edelstein)
Give us a call today at our toll free number 877.447.5268 or at 802.875.3032 with all your trunk restoration, repair and refinishing needs and questions.
Pick-up and delivery for restoration & refinishing projects is free in New England and the Northeast. Packing and shipping is available throughout the US.
