VINTAGE TRUNKS are much sought after by travel connoisseurs - not only for their historical significance but as decorative pieces for the home. Made by hand, each piece is testament to a craftsmanship and savoir fare that has been preserved for more than 150 years.
Prized by collectors, the 'steamer' (or flat-top trunk) is the most popular and dates back to the start of the Industrial revolution. While many pieces were made in the US and China, the most respected brands came from France. Some of the oldest trunk makers in the world include La Malle Bernard, who has been making trunks since 1846 and Moynat which opened its atelier in Paris in 1849.
One of the most famous luggage makers is Parisian house Goyard. The patriarch of the family, Edme Goyard, moved to Paris in 1832. His son Francois joined trunk makers La Maison Morel as an apprentice in 1845. When its owner died, Francois took over the business and created La Maison Goyard in 1853.
In the years that followed, Goyard developed technical innovations that would transform luggage making including the introduction of its now-iconic waterproof canvas which was used instead of leather to cover the trunks. The trunks were and still are made using the same techniques and materials including beech and poplar wood, brass and zinc.
Over the years Goyard has supplied trunks to royalty and aristocracy including Barbara Hutton, Estee Lauder, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Rockefellers and Karl Lagerfeld. Popular styles include the patented 'Malle Bureau' (or Office Suitcase), a portable trunk that features a writing table that can also accommodate a typewriter. It was famously ordered by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Trunks have also been designed for tea kits, polo equipment, caviar, folding bikes, fishing rods and picnic sets. In 2002, the brand introduced new colours and the option to customise with hand-painted initials, stripes and coats-of-arms. To date, everything is made at the brand's factory in Carcasonne in France.
Some of the most covetable trunks from that period also come from Louis Vuitton. The brand's founder Louis Vuitton apprenticed with Marechal as a trunk maker and packer before being hired by Napoleon III, as a layetier (packer) for his wife Empress Eugenie. In 1854 Vuitton established his own label and opened an atelier in Paris.
While most trunks at the time had a rounded top shape, Vuitton created the first flat-top trunk in 1858. He lightened the wood frames and coated them with grey waterproof 'Trianon' canvas for added durability. He took this one step further in 1868 by developing a zinc trunk that was completely waterproof and airtight. He was also known for developing packaging designs that were functional yet contemporary including the library trunk, circus trunk, toiletry kit and bed trunk. All of these pieces were made in the company's workshop in Asnieres, which still stands today.