A MOTORING TRUNK IN BLACK VUITTONITE CANVAS

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THE ART OF TRAVEL: LOUIS VUITTON Louis Vuitton, a master craftsman, opened his first shop in Paris in 1854, from where he sold luxury goods to the elite, thus bringing to the fore his twenty years of previous experience. He was first and foremost a craftsman, but his flair for design is apparent throughout his work. With a realization that craft, in the same way as art, should be questioned and re-defined, he created innovative pieces; icons of today. The pieces below reflect a society on the move during the latter half of the nineteenth century. As means of transportation diversified, luggage evolved to meet its requirements. The dome lidded coach trunks of the previous decades were superseded and replaced with a flatter, longer model; the railway had arrived. They were stackable and reinforced with wooden battens, so they could be piled in the luggage vans. The embodiment of practicality, with an appreciation for aesthetics, Vuitton created trunks for the rational packing of ones belongings. The wardrobe, as seen below in yellow, was made from 1875 onwards, but was increasingly in demand towards the end of the century, when crinolines were abandoned and more flowing lines were adopted. As the car became the rage, there was a demand for lighter, more durable luggage. Car trunks were designed to be watertight and the suitcase was re-invented, using wood, rather than cardboard or leather, making it light, strong and convenient. Synonymous with the art of travel, Louis Vuitton has catered for the discerning traveller for over 150 years. While the examples on the following pages allow us to relive the past, they are also a source of inspiration for the future; staples of design in the modern world.

A MOTORING TRUNK IN BLACK VUITTONITE CANVAS

LOUIS VUITTON, CIRCA 1905-1910

Details

A MOTORING TRUNK IN BLACK VUITTONITE CANVAS
LOUIS VUITTON, CIRCA 1905-1910
Brass bound, with wooden batons to the top and bottom and brass handles to either end, the interior lined in cream linen, with fittings for a tray
11 x 31 x 20 in. (27 x 80 x 51 cm.)
The lock stamped 'BTE S.G.D.G. PATENT, LOUIS VUITTON, MADE IN FRANCE', the interior labelled 'LOUIS VUITTON, 1 RUE SCRIBE PARIS, 149 NEW BOND ST. LONDON' and numbered 208728(?)

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