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Steamer Trunk

The first time I ever saw a steamer trunk was at my grandmother’s 90 th birthday. There it stood on her wardrobe as an antiquity which I am sure I would love to be included in the portion to be bequeathed me by grandma. I asked for the permission from grandma and I took a long time admiring the sturdy structure it has.

A trunk, which may also be called a traveler chest, is a large cuboidal container for clothings and other personal belongings. It is commonly used where a protracted period of stay away from home is envisaged or in a boarding school. Trunks are different from chests in that the former is used as luggage while the latter is used basically for storage purposes.

There are several types of trunks which include, Jenny Linds, Monitors, Dome tops, Saratogas and Steamers. A few are discussed below.

  • Jenny Lind trunks

This type came out in the 19 th century and was named after the popular Swedish singer, Jenny Lind, who was known to be carrying this type. It had the design of a keyhole or an hour glass.

  • Saratoga trunks

This type was common before 1880s and had special features or attachments such as separate compartments and trays. Saratoga trunk formed the premium trunk for most manufacturers, dictating the design of their products.

  • Monitor tops

This type was the order of the day during the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. It has a special dome shape design at the top, resembling a prostrate letter ‘D’.

  • Hat trunks

This type of trunk is square in shape and also called half trunks. It was common during the Victorian era and women were often seen wielding it and as such it soon became synonymous with women’s dressing.

5. Dresser trunk

They have the shape of a pyramid and can open almost open the entire half of the front, giving it the ability to rest fully on its bottom. It fetches a good price in the market so if you are thinking it’s a load you want to get rid off, you may have a rethink if you know the monetary value.

With other samples I saw, a steamer trunk has a rugged but large trunk that has a flat out or curved top. The flat top I could see, affords the carrier ease of handling and stacking should he be traveling on a steam train, bus, boat or a ship for a long period. Although, technology advancement has replaced steam train with better inventions like electric train, the use of steam trunk is still evident till date. They adorn the collections of several homes and are even put to use in others. To find one to buy is not a difficult task at all as you can get to buy from vintage stores where they are paraded in different grades of value and condition. You can however decide to buy a new steam trunk if you value one for your next trip because they are available in many supplier stores. It is quite costly to have a new one but you can go for the refurbished type or pay a visit to the local antique shop to buy a used one which you can refurbish to your taste

Steam trunk has a sturdy structure, made possible from the thick wood or the metal used in its manufacture. It usually has straps of leather bands or metal which makes it compact after you have packed in your luggage. Most of them also come with additional features or accessories like clothe hangers, shelves, trays or drawers. The interior is most often lined with metal frames or wood to make it sustain heavy load or pressure.

There are basically two versions, a small one, which can be carried by one person if not loaded to the brim and a second version that is bigger and can only be carried two people.

I have seen fanciful and decorative types with embossed metal or leather to make it look beautiful. You can also see plain types that do not have these decorative features. Since it can serve the dual purpose of luggage packing and a furniture piece in the house, your keeping a steam trunk in the 21 st century is not a bad idea.