Trunk

Object Name:

Trunk

Object ID:

1984.016

Creator:

Hanson, Stephen (1774-1847)Leatherworker

Place of Origin:

Dover, NH

Date:

1806

Description:

Trunk. Made by Stephen Hanson Jr., Dover, NH. Leather-covered wooden frame. Rectangular with domed lid. Brass bail handle on top with concave back side at its center. Turned pivot posts for handle are on oval brass escutcheons. Outside distance between posts 2.9". Leather covering on outside has lost 25% of hair that was retained on surface. Four decorative bands that run up front and across top, held with brass upholstery tacks. Bands shrunken and deteriorated, currently, ~4" wide. Two bands ~3" apart at each end. Evidence of horizontal band around front and sides of lid that held apron existing in only small fragment in front, right side. Iron lock plate 2.5" wide x 1.75" high on front surface, bottom section. Held in place by three iron tacks in corners and fourth copper tack upper left corner. Keyhole at center near bottom of place. Iron stud in top portion of keyhole. Keyhole curved surfaces at its bottom that roughly simulate an "S"; vertically-oriented rectangular slot upper left corner. No hasp present. Slight depression under leather on front edge of lid above lock gives evidence of where a hasp section may have been fastened. Perforation on inside surface of lid, possibly related to some sort of fastener to missing hasp. Two random brass upholstery tacks with small leather discs under on front surface, bottom section; one near bottom edge to left of lock plate; second tack almost centered in right, front section between two vertical, decorative bands and top and bottom edges. Leather covering wrapped around bottom edge, held in place by iron tacks. Associated with previously mentioned split and distortion of back leather surface. One piece of leather that constitutes front edge of lid, top of lid, and back surface of box. Lower front edge maybe from same piece of leather, looking the same as regards hair, color, and length. Wooden lip applied to inside of edge at top of bottom section, on inside of box. Fastened on left, right, and front edges. At back, lip beveled to meet back, top surface of bottom section. Two brass, threaded rods with round brass nuts that are part of pivot post for handle on top of lid on inside of lid at center. Wood that makes up sides of box is 0.45" thick. Two single brass upholstery tacks on inside of box on either end. Inside of box covered with what appears to be newspaper. Interior lined with Dover, NH, newspaper, November 25, 1806. (Number of legal notices in newspaper, including estate sales, collection of taxes, etc.). Printed paper label inside lid, ~3" high x 3.4" wide: "Saddles, Harnesses & Trunks, / MADE AND SOLD BY / STEPHEN HANSON, Jr. / DOVER, (N.H.)" within an oval garland of leaves and blossoms on long stem. Leather hinges, one broken. "WM. BOYD" stamped twice on bottom in ink.

Material:

Wood
Leather
Brass
Hair
Iron
Copper
Paper

Dimensions:

H-6.6 W-16.4 D-7.7 inches Weight-57.3 oz

Credit Line:

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James L. Garvin

People:

Hanson, Stephen (1774-1847)

Subjects:

Boxes, Trunks