Mailbag

Object Name:

Mailbag

Object ID:

1996.050.01

Date:

1825-1860

Description:

Bag, mail. Venetian carpet bag. Horizontal striped wool. Reversible ribbed weave of three-ply S-twist brown jute weft yarns, with warp stripes of light brown, dark brown, and white S-twist singles alternating with red, pink, and tan two-ply Z-twist yarns. Ten wefts/inch x 24 warps/inch. Warp worn through in several patches, revealing jute weft. Hand-stitched cotton denim lining. Leather bottom and rim. Leather handles sewn to rim. Belt closure snakes through slots in rim. Belt attached to one end with a copper stud, while other end has brass closure ready for a padlock (padlock not present). Typed index card found in bag reads, "Samuel Cheever carried mail from West / Rumney to Canaan in this Bag, 1825 or 1830". Samuel Cheever (1807-1894) was a farmer and postal carrier.

Material:

Textile
Metal
Leather
Wool
Jute
Cotton
Copper
Brass

Dimensions:

W-11 L-22.5 D-2.5 inches

Provenance:

Gift of Gretchen Fehrenbacher, Tigard, OR. Purchased by donor at an auction in Hooksett, NH. Used by Samuel Cheever (1807-1894) for carrying mail from West Rumney to Canaan, NH. Note with bag indicates it is from 1825-1830, however Samuel Cheever was still documented as a postal carrier for this route in 1856.

Credit Line:

Gift of Gretchen Fehrenbacher, Tigard, Oregon

People:

Cheever, Samuel (1807-1894), Fehrenbacher, Gretchen

Subjects:

Bag, Mail, Wool, Carpets, Bags, Textiles, Stripes, Leather goods, Mailmen, Venetian