Additional Trunk hardware from the 1915 JH Sessions Catalog | ||
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Posted 10 years ago
hmsantique…
(52 items)
Here are some other pieces you all might find interesting. I was surprised to see this offered so late, but rarely seen on trunks this age. I also have a 1918
Sessions catalog that does not offer these cast items.
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Its great to recognize some of this hardware -- some I have on my trunks! JH Sessions must have sold many of these over the years -- great quality latches... Thanks for the post and the great info, Jim.
Wonderful post Jim, nice to see the catalog photos.
Just FYI, some of these same, or very similar, hardware pieces were made by the St. Louis Trunk Hardware company, the Hardware City Mfg Co., Gould & Son Hardware Co., Milwaukee Stamping Co., and the R. Neumann Trunk Hardware company of Newark, NJ. There were several other companies making very similar styles since trunk manufacturing was such a large industry. It will be a surprise to many people that much of the embossed metal and other fancy metal covering for trunks was made by the American Can Company of NY. They advertised in 1900 that they made "decorated metal sheets of all descriptions" and 30 styles of embossed metal for trunk covering. There were also many companies making other trunk items, including the hardwood slats, handles, leather and vulcanized fiber covering, linings, trimmings, etc. Lots of people have the idea that these large trunk companies made everything, but actually they purchased most of the parts from many companies and then made the wood body and assembled all the parts. A few of the companies had some of their own unique hardware items, or had their name put on them, but they probably contracted out most of that also. I found in doing research that a small town near my hometown in central Indiana made only trunk slats for many years. A couple old trunk catalogs and some state agriculture department reports list that most trunk slats were made of elm from Michigan. Even Seward Trunk Co, which claimed to be the largest U.S. trunk company listed in their catalog that they purchased elm slats from Michigan. Most people can't tell the difference between elm and oak when it is finished. I find the history very fascinating and I know there are a lot of misconceptions floating around out there about trunk makers. Thanks..... Marvin ThisOldTrunk.com