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Posted 5 years ago
Naywyn
(1 item)
I was able to snag this beauty at an estate sale and am trying to figure out how old it is, its maker, etc. I have not been able to locate any markings but still have places to explore. My husband and I plan on cleaning it up and keeping it. It is beautiful! *swoons*
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That is a really nice trunk. I especially like the interior.
Probably the nicest, most complete interior I have ever seen. If I had to guess I would say 1890s. The bigger the hump the older the trunk
We found a marking!! An S on the back metal bit embellishment
I switched out one of the pictures for the S marking. So excited!!
The hardware was patented by Sessions.
J.H. Sessions, mid 1880's or so.
Oh thank you! Thank you! So much to research now!!!!
To be honest with you, there's not a lot to research simply because there's not a lot of factual information out there. Your trunk is a very common style made by hundreds of trunk makers at the time, Sessions along with Taylor seems to be the most common hardware used on trunks by all makers, also the embossed tin on your trunk was the most common pattern used by all makers, without a makers label or distinguishing hardware such as Martin Maier or Romadka Brothers, its impossible to say for sure who or where your trunk was made, patent dates help but don't indicate a specific date as hardware was used for decades, hardware that was patented in 1880 was used into the 1900's , I think your trunk is closer to 1900 because of the flat stamped finger like hardware on the top edge of your trunk, really didn't start seeing this until around 1900, you run into a lot of dead ends trying to research trunks, and you need to remember that a lot of the information out there is wrong and made up by people that don't have a clue, I often wonder who owned the trunks that I have and where they've been, and who built them but it doesn't really matter. I just love the trunks for what they are.
*laughs* I am seeing the dead ends and am starting to pick up on the misinformation. But I am getting a great peak into the history of the steamer trunks which is making this whole delve well worth it. End of the day this trunk can remain a complete mystery (which it more than most likely will) and I am fine with that. We are going to clean it up, and keep it with our family until at least we're dead and then off it will go again I suspect into the world for someone else to pick up and go boggle eyed over. Thank you so very much for the estimated dating and the maker of the hardware. It's has been a great delve into history as I said, and just wait! We picked up another trunk with this one that I have not even started looking into. Bwahahahahaha!
This trunk is made by Whittles and trunk company out of Knoxville Tennessee! I know this because my wife and I just bought a house and found this exact trunk in the rafters in our garage. Early 1900s.
That's not necessarily true either, you can have two trunks of this style, that look exactly alike, same hardware, same tin pattern, same size, and be made by two different trunk manufacturers, without a label or identifying hardware it's very hard to say for sure.
I agree, but still a nice pickup :)