Trunk
- Object Name:
- Trunk
- Object ID:
- 1977.022.01
- Place of Origin:
- New England
- Date:
- 1820-1840
- Description:
- Trunk. Wood, covered with brown leather. Domed lid. Brass decorative tacks. One piece of leather extending from bottom edge of lid, up front, across curved top, down back side, turning under back edge for short distance. Some evidence leather covers at least right end of lid. Some evidence of old repairs at back corner at left end. Unknown if left-hand part of this bottom piece. Two holes and some shadow marks for escutcheon plate to indicate some type of carrying handle on top, now missing. Four leather bands held in place by brass upholstery tacks, extending across top from bottom of edge of front surface to back edge of top surface, which also extends slightly more that 0.5" down back. Distance between left and next two decorative strips same. Third strip ~1" less. Decorative tacks across top are 1.1" on centers, but not very precise in their spacing and their alignment. Decorative strips ~0.3" wide. Strips extend vertically down front of box and wrap underneath front surface. Two horizontal, decorative strips delineating edges between top and bottom sections of box, extend slightly around corner and onto back surface. Held in place by iron tacks on back. Decorative tack spacing not even on left end. Width of strips also, not consistent. Tack spacing more consistent, but strip width varies on right end of box. Small split near junction between top and bottom sections on left side at left front corner. May be evidence of some old repair. Four iron tacks on top of box at front edge with two being in left section and two in center section as defined by decorative strips. Some damages to leather and strips on front of lid, to left of hasp placement. Iron lock plate, 2.9" wide x 2.1" hight, on front of box at center. Held in place by four iron tacks. Black finish. Near bottom center, keyhole with iron stud in center of top area. Key hole large at top, tapering to small, rounded bottom. Rivet above keyhole with broken, chamfered disc. Broken portion probably contains cover for keyhole. Vertically oriented, rectangular slot in upper left corner of plate. Hinge hasp hangs down from front of lid with parallel sides that swell to slightly bulbous bottom with turned-up finger tab at bottom edge. Hasp surface black. Top portion of hinge held in place by two iron tacks. Top portion under leather of top. Empty hole for another fastener in top portion of hasp. A number of scrapes and shallow cuts on front surface of lower portion of box. Surface raw wood with some slight scuffs on bottom. Two long pieces of wood nailed to bottom at front and back, ~0.3" thick, 0.9" wide. Three iron tacks in each piece. Shallow grooves on the wooden feet at their edges on inside surfaces. Feet abraded at their extreme ends. Iron tacks holding leather in place at back of box at their corners. Leather on sides stretched around onto back and somewhat crudely cut and tacked in place. Two sets of iron tacks on back associated with hinges for lid. Hinges under leather. Simple pieces of wood nailed to top edges of left, right, and front sides to create lip on inside of box. Nailed to inside with iron tacks. Two iron wire loops connected together to create a hinge at back of box at right side. Iron wire passes through back side of box near top edge. Ends of wire bent over on inside. Wire partially hidden by paper lining at right side. Wire on lid missing at left side. Remnants of paper lining inside box on bottom and top sections. At least some of paper from magazine due to a lot of text with quotations and people "talking". Piece of wood inserted behind lock plate for continuity of top front edge of box. Wood for ends and front of bottom, 0.5" thick. Pencilled inside of lid upper left corner: "John W Prescott / worn Dec 1799 / his trunk." Owned by John Wells Prescott.
- Material:
- Leather
Wood
Paper
Brass
Iron - Dimensions:
- H-6.7 W-15.5 D-8 inches Weight-58 oz
- Provenance:
- Trunk belonged to John Wells Prescott, believed to have been born in Epping or Deerfield, NH, area, Dec. 9, 1799. Later lived in Exeter, ME, where he died Oct. 5, 1856.
- Credit Line:
- Gift of Glenn B. Skillin
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