Trunk

Object Name:

Trunk

Object ID:

1981.074

Creator:

Hanson, Stephen (1774-1847)Leatherworker

Place of Origin:

Dover, NH

Date:

circa 1810

Description:

Trunk. Rectangular wooden trunk, covered with horsehair and trimmed with brass tacks and leather strips. Small brass furniture pull on top. End posts for pull extend through round brass medallions 0.8" diameter. Posts centered 2.7" apart. When extended, handle 1.4" above surface. Leather extends from front edge of lid across domed top, down back, and partway onto bottom being fastened by steel tacks. Still some horsehair on top surface, but most worn away. Ends of top appear to be separate pieces nailed in place under decorative bands around perimeter of ends of cover. Decorative band around bottom edge of cover on left, front, and right sides, brown and ~0.5" wide. Consists of two pieces: plain band and on top of it, another band with semi-circular shapes along bottom edge and small serrations on edges of semi-circles. Brass upholstery tacks in centers of semi-circles spaced ~0.7" apart. Gap in center of front edge ~1.4" wide where leather portion of strap nailed on with iron tacks. All of brass tacks with green corrosion around their edges. Four wide, smooth, brown leather bands running from front to back on top, ~0.45" wide, with some age to them. Upholstery tacks holding them down varying from 0.7" to 1" centers. Leather on sides and front on bottom section starts at top edge and wraps around bottom a little where held in place by iron tacks. Outside bottom surface plain wood with long crack near back going left to right. Top exterior edge of bottom section trimmed with leather band held in place with leather tacks. Some of band missing; some quite worn. On front surface at bottom, four brown leather bands vertically oriented that are extensions of decoration that crosses top. The two left hand bands worn and partially missing. Brass lock plate in center of front surface of bottom section, 1.8" wide by 1.4" high. Decorative outside edge to plate. Plate held in place by four brass tacks. Keyhole shape hole at bottom of plate and vertically-oriented rectangular hole above it. No hasp or key. Two brass, threaded rods with round, brass nuts on them. on inside of top cover. Rods part of handle assembly on outside top of box. Two leather bands ~1.2" wide near left and right ends at back edge of lid of box acting as hinges for lid. Paper lining hides extent of these leather straps. Slight bulges where leather straps may extend downward underneath decorative leather surface on back of box. Small serrated leather disc 0.5" diameter with single brash upholstery tack through it on top of lid at back right-hand corner. Small piece of leather adjacent to this tack and disc missing that may be in reason for this odd decoration. Lined with newspaper."1807" found in various places in text, in reference to Boston Chronicle. "From the Boston Chronicle. / ADDRESS TO PRESIDENT. / The following is copy of address / to President of United States which / passed the House of Representatives." Should be noted of use of long "s" in text. "Address", "President", and "passed" and "House". Label affixed to inside of lid reads: "Saddles, Harnesses & Trunks, / MADE AND SOLD BY / STEPHEN HANSON, Jr., / (Italics) DOVER, (not italics) (N.H.)" Printed in oval of leaves and berries. Top line in italics.

Material:

Wood
Leather
Hair
Steel
Brass
Tissue

Dimensions:

H-4.8 W-12.2 D-6 inches Weight-27.8 oz

Credit Line:

Gift of William L. Warren

People:

Hanson, Stephen (1774-1847), Warren, William L. (1912-1998)

Subjects:

Boxes, Trunks