Posted 11 years ago
KathyKay
(53 items)
Hi hoping someone can tell me more about this trunk - found it in my travels today at the Brimfield Antique show in MA. It looks like a Saratoga but it is very short. It is about 10 inches tall and 22 inches long. Covered in leather with metal bands and brass button nails. As you can see in the pictures the bottom is rounded like the top. Leather is well worn - unsure if I should remove and refinish the wood, which is what I normally do or try and replace the leather. Don't know if that is a task that a novice can do has anyone replaced the leather on one of these? Any tips you can share? I've restored a lot of trunks and see a lot in my travels to antique shows and yard sales but this is the first one I've seen this style in the size of this one.
Wow wow wow -- you actually have a Jenny Lind style suitcase, more than a trunk. It is actually meant to be placed with the handle facing upwards. (I think the handles are missing -- there would have been two leather straps on each side of the lock -- top and bottom piece) if you look closely you can see the brass studs still there with remnants of the leather handles attached facing inwards. I have refinished a lot of trunks as well but one this old and rare with leather still on it -- I would do my best to preserve. (A saratoga trunk was often a description of a top of the line trunk, used to describe both jenny lind high end models as well as high end dome top models ) I know that there are a couple of contributers on this site that have replaced leather on trunks so perhaps they could help you. I am guessing age to be around 1840 to 1850. I would try my best to clean it up and polish the brass studs and gun oil the steel banding and appreciate and display it in its present state -- it is simply a great find in my books! Thanks for the exciting post!
trunkman thanks for the info - I didn't know there were Jenny Lind style suitcases. As you suggested I'm going to try and clean it up rather than refinish it. When I get it done I will update the post with after pictures.
Love this! Very cool! Great find.