A trunk, also known as a travelling chest, is a large cuboid container for holding clothes and other personal belongings, typically about 1.5 metres wide, and 0.5 metres each deep and high, or about 25" to 40" wide, 14" to 28" high, and 14" to 24" deep. They were most commonly used for extended periods away from home, such as for boarding school, or long trips abroad. Most trunks are now used as furniture and decorative accessories such as coffee tables, linen and blanket storage, and storage of items such as pictures, files, and personal memorabilia.

There are many styles of trunks. Some of the most popular are Jenny Lind, Saratoga, Steamer, Wardrobe, Dometop, and Wall Trunks. Most trunks were made of pine and covered with some type of material such as leather, paper, canvas, or embossed metal.

A few trunks were covered with matched oak slats. Oak slat trunks, made by Excelsior Trunk Company and Clinton Trunk Company, are amongst the rarest of trunks today with prices ranging into the thousands of dollars.

Jenny Lind Trunks have a distinctive hour glass or keyhole shape when looking at them from the end. They were named after the Swedish singer of the same name who toured America in the mid 19th Century along with PT Barnum. She carried a trunk of that style with her and they became quite popular. They were made for a short period of time from about 1855-1865.

Saratoga trunks were the premium trunks of many makers. They had compartments and trays and heavy duty hardware.

Steamer trunks are usually canvas-covered and have flat or slightly curved tops. They were made around 1890-1910 and are some of the most common type of trunk.

Wardrobe trunks stand on end and have drawers on one side and hangers for clothes on the other. They are very large and heavy and were used for extended travel by ship or train.

A dometop trunk has a high, curved top that rises up to heights of 25-30". The earliest dometop trunks were made much the same way as barrels were made, with tapered staved for the top. Later dometops were made with press-molded plywood.

Wall trunks are made with special hinges so that when opened the trunk could still be put flat up against a wall.

Some of the better known makers were Louis Vuitton, Goyard, Haskell Brothers, MM Secor, Clinton, Hartmann, Oshkosh, Molloy, Truesdale, and Taylor. Louis Vuitton is still the most popular trunk company in the world, but in France there are numerous manufacturers of trunks including Ephtee and La Malle Bernard.

Trivia

An extremely elaborate set of steamer trunks is purchased and used by Tom Hanks' titular hero in the 1990 film Joe Versus The Volcano.

External links

• A french-language history of trunks
• Website for "The Trunk Shop"