Trunk History and Styles

Trunk History and Styles
Trunks were made in varying shapes and sizes and from many different materials over the course of hundred's of years. They began as very primitive cases covered in animal hides and improved in both their design and ornamentation in the late 1800's.With the advent of the railroad and the move to settle the west coupled with worldwide travel via ships, the number and variations of trunk designs changed significantly. Some of these styles are represented below.Trunk makers became common and often copied each others styles. There were manufacturers who specialized in trunks but most cities had blacksmiths who built trunks as a sideline business.I like to think of trunks as todays suitcase or overnight bag. People used trunks to store their personal belongings and they basically lived out of them as they traveled.Trunks like most other things came in varying levels of quality. From the basic flat top trunk to the popular Jenny Lind trunk to the ornate Saratoga or Brides trunk to the rare oak slat or Louis Vuitton trunk.