After cleaning the trunk of layers of dirt and grime. |
Just a little sweet talking and convincing it would be a great project, Kevin and I brought the trunk home and he went right to work. Cleaning, scrubbing, wiping, sanding, cleaning some more and it's ready for paint.
I researched these trunks a little. This one had a tray inside and was secured with a lock and leather straps and handles. All of these things are missing now but I think that just adds to the mystery of who used it. Where did they travel to? ?id they use it to move across the country? Was it used as their wardrobe? And many more questions.
The Flat Top Trunk was manufactured from 1870 - 1920. There were some rare examples of this style starting in the 1850s and 1860s. They were mass marketed starting around 1880. This one is canvas covered which was very common. The hardware seems to be common as well. I can just imagine my ancestors traveling to Illinois with a trunk like this! Probably held all their clothes and linens, maybe even their entire household belongings! Today, most of us couldn't put a quarter of our wardrobes in this.
Finished! |
Side view |
No comments:
Post a Comment