Louis Vuitton 1925 trunk - Malle A Chaussures
Description:
Trunk L.V. coated with the Maison’s iconic Monogram oilcloth, a canvas created in 1896 by Georges Vuitton, son of Louis Vuitton.
It dates back to 1925, a period in which the quality of materials and workmanship historically reached one of the highest levels.
Each part is original: the wooden interior, the lousine finishes, the gilded brass details, the canvas and the locks.
The closures of the suitcases in recent years already use the revolutionary system with 5 spring drums, which make the trunks extremely safe.
The antique travel trunks were commissioned directly from the Maison and customized according to needs and interests; in this case the indication of the crown suggests a commission from a noble family.
The suitcase has small dimensions for the time and was created to transport and store footwear, inside, in fact, we find several removable shelves designed to take advantage of any space and protect the contents of the suitcase.
Dimensions: 60 x 48 x 38 cm
Louis Vuitton trunk 1890 - Malle haute
Description:
Trunk L.V. dating back to 1890, covered in Damier canvas, the famous canvas with alternating brown and beige checkered patterns, invented a few years earlier by Georges Vuitton, son of Louis.
This is a rather large men’s trunk, therefore commissioned to withstand long journeys. The interior is equipped with shelves and compartments designed for storing hats (even large ones such as the top hat) and other essential accessories at the end of the 19th century such as scarves, braces, cuffs and collars.
The House’s craftsmanship is demonstrated by the durable outer structure, accompanied by the soft inner lining. It is one of the rarest specimens that still has the finishes in leather and not in lousine.
In excellent condition: small restorations have been made over the years, keeping everything original, including locks and gilded brass finishes.
Dimensions: 110 x 60 x 70 cm
Louis Vuitton trunk - Malle Courrier (1920 ca.)
Description:
Trunk L.V. datable between 1920 and 1925, a period characterized by the high quality of the materials and their workmanship.
It is a trunk commissioned to the Maison almost certainly by a jockey, who had his travel suitcase personalized by having the horseshoe symbol printed on the sides, clearly visible in red.
The customization of the trunk is also evident by observing the inside, where we find a shoe shelf divided into large compartments, suitable for storing jockey boots.
The trunk is lined on the outside with the Maison’s iconic Monogram oilcloth, created in 1896 by Georges Vuitton, son of Louis Vuitton.
The finishes are in lousine, the details in gilded brass, the original locks.
It has been perfectly restored and restored to its original appearance.
Dimensions: 57 x 100 x 53 cm
Historical-critical analysis:
The history of the Maison Vuitton has its roots in the 19th century, when the very young Louis Vuitton went to Paris and trained as an apprentice packer with Monsieur Marechal, the largest suitcase manufacturer of the time.
It wasn’t long before the young man was able to set up his own business and in 1854 the first L.V trunks were born.
They owe the key to their success above all to the customizations that were offered to customers. There are no identical ancient trunks, because they were produced following the instructions of the clients, studied according to the profession of the traveler who ordered them, the type of trip they would have to face, by ship or carriage for example, or to which countries and climates. Each trunk was further personalized by the customers: the most common identification symbols were colored bands, numbers, initials of the owner and family coat of arms (for those of noble birth). It must be borne in mind that those who recovered the trunks in the hold often did not know how to read, but it was necessary that he could deliver them to the rightful owner.
We find trunks with secret compartments or drawers or even with different types of wood coverings.
In the early days Louis Vuitton used “Gray Trianon” to cover his products, a waterproof oilcloth of gray cotton. In 1872, he decided to introduce a red and beige striped pattern to identify his trunks and defend against imitations. Later his son Georges first conceived the “Damier”, a beige and brown checkered pattern, and then the iconic Louis Vuitton Monogram.
Today a Louis Vuitton trunk is an iconic object, a symbol of the modern travel concept, innovative with its rectangular rather than rounded base shape, light but resistant thanks to the rigid cover and metal corners, totally waterproof.
The locks would then deserve a separate chapter, with the ingenious system of five spring drums, which transformed the L.V. in real coffers.
A Louis Vuitton trunk today is a piece of furniture and collectibles.
Bibliography:
– Pierre Lèonforte, Éric Pujalet Plaà, 100 legendary trunks – Louis Vuitton, Abrams, New York, 2010.
- Louis Vuitton trunks
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