Civil War Valise (hand trunk)

If you've seen many old trunk labels you'll know that they almost always list Trunks, Valises, and Carpet Bags. Many people today don't know what a valise was so I thought I'd show one. I've done a lot of research and seen many early trunk labels that show these valises along side the regular size trunks. Well, the valise was basically an early form of a suitcase or briefcase, used mostly by men for short trip purposes. This fine example is from the 1850's to 1860's and shows the Jenny Lind influence in the shape and iron banding with large brass studs. The thick leather is nicely tooled with geometric designs. It has leather straps with buckles and an iron and brass lock. They attached a leather cover for the lock to keep out dirt and water. It also has the original leather handles on the top. The interior has two compartments as well as a nice red leather pocket for papers and letters. I'm not certain where this was made but the original owner was from New Hope, NY, so it could have been made in that area. This measures 20 x 14 x 11 inches, the perfect carry-on for stagecoach travel!