Steamer Trunk

The Louis Vuitton brand is popularly known worldwide as one of producers of the best luxury bags. But did you know that Louis Vuitton made his name by designing steamer trunks for the rich and wealthy individuals who often travel in luxury ships and trains?

Louis Vuitton steamer trunks are considered as luggage icons and are truly the highest symbols of luxury and wealth. Each steamer trunk usually takes up to 60 hours to make since they are all lovingly handcrafted. In every piece that makes up the trunk, you will see the trademark care and precision that comes with every Louis Vuitton product. This is actually the main reason why most people are still vying to get their hands on one of these trunks.

The first steamer trunk ever made by Louis Vuitton was for Empress Eugenie of France during the 1850s. Initially, the brand’s trunks were plain and grey. But the designer changed the trunk’s appearance when several individuals and companies were copying the look. Louis Vuitton implemented different designs but they were all still copied by competitors. In 1896, the designer together with his son initiated the use of the quatrefoil design and the brand’s logo on their trunks and has become their signature branding on all their products.

One example of an exquisite Louis Vuitton steamer trunk was owned by a certain woman who decided to sell it at an auction. This particular antique steamer trunk was from the year 1908 and is in perfect condition. It was huge and comes with all the trunk’s original accessories including the removable trays, compartments and straps. The interior lining on this particular Louis Vuitton steamer trunk is amazingly well-preserved save for a few stains. Apparently, the steamer trunk will be worth thousands of dollars today and the the stickers or travel labels on its sides will make it even more so.

Back at a time when there were neither suitcases nor backpacks, people traveled with cuboid boxes made of wood called trunks. The boxes were not just pieces of wood boards fastened together with the help of a frame. Indeed, they came in different designs embellished with decorative materials, and were constructed employing the prevailing architectural concepts of the time. Protective coverings were also used, including leather, plain or embossed tin, canvass, and paper.

Owing to their varying designs and to the almost unlimited variations of their decoration, trunks came to be classified into several types, although such classification can be fuzzy at times. One of these is the steamer trunk.

The distinctive feature of steamer trunks is their flat top. The purpose of the flat top is ease of stacking. Their panels could be made of wood boards or slats with metal banding to help hold them down. Apart from this functional purpose, they also serve to add character and style to the trunk. On average, steamer trunks were 30 inches wide, 20 inches tall, and 18 inches deep.

This type of luggage was common from the late 1870s to the 1920s, a time when commercial flight was still in its infancy. Thus, people traveled to distant places either on trains or on steamships. This is where the trunk got its name. Confusing the issue, though, is that some experts claim that what is now generally known as steamer trunks were actually called "packer trunks". The real steamer trunks, according to them, are those commonly known as "cabin trunks", which also had flat tops but were small enough to fit under the beds in train or steamship cabins.

Steamer trunks have long since been replaced by lighter suitcases. Still, because they are true works of art painstakingly crafted by artisans of past generations, they remain beautiful to look at. Any steamer trunk that has survived to the present can still be used as a centerpiece in the living room. It can also double as a coffee table or a storage chest.