The earliest Louis Vuitton trunks were revolutionary when they hit the market. It had a flat lid, rather than the domed lid that was then conventional, which meant it could be easily stacked, and was covered in the house’s ingenious, glue-treated and watertight Trianon canvas. Such clever features, of which several more would follow over the decades, are what put Vuitton trunks at the top of luxury traveller’s shopping list. After the plain grey Trianon came the counterfeit-challenging Rayée (or striped) canvas in 1872 and remained in production until the introduction of the now world famous LV monogram in 1896.

The stripes are reputedly inspired by trips in the Deauville region. It was very fashionable to take the waters in Deauville and the buildings in the resort which are half-timbered vertically. Louis Vuitton wanted to have striped canvases, to recall these charming trips to the upscale holiday destination of the 1800s.

These trunks were in production for only a brief period. They were incredibly popular at the time and this example is a wonderful example of such trunks. They were mainly (but not exclusively) sold in two versions: with steel trim or with leather trim. This trunk has the more desirable and rarer leather trim, finished off with brass fittings and two wonderful brass locks. The quilting on the inside lid is finished with a "tricolore" ribbon representing the French flag. Even at the time, this model was significantly more expensive than its steel bound alternative. All these original features make this model extremely sought after by collectors.

A brief history about Louis Vuitton trunks: Louis Vuitton was born in 1821 to a farmer and milliner and came from a long-established working-class family in eastern France. Vuitton grew up understanding the effects of perseverance and a strong work ethic from watching his family. At the age of 16, he made the decision to walk 292 miles from his hometown to Paris to try and make a new life for himself. When he arrived the city was in the midst of industrialization with current modes of transportation evolving quickly allowing for longer journeys. With this came the need for sturdy travel pieces. Vuitton was taken as an apprentice for a successful box maker and packer named Monsieur Marechal. He learned to craft durable containers and how to pack them properly – a well-respected profession at the time.In 1854, years after he had mastered his craft and became well respected for it, Vuitton ventured out on his own to open a shop on Rue Neuve des Capucines. It was here that he began to establish himself as a luggage maker. Then, in 1858, Vuitton designed the first Louis Vuitton steamer trunk. At the time trunks had rounded tops to allow for water to run off but this did not allow for convenient stowage. Vuitton introduced a flat, yet waterproof, trunk that was easily stackable. The first of his trunks were outfitted with a grey canvas referred to as Trianon – it wouldn’t be until several decades later that the signature monogram would be introduced. With a burgeoning business, Vuitton moved his family and workplace to Asniere, where he employed twenty workers to craft his trunks. By 1900 he would have 100 employees, and in 1914 the company would more than double in size. After years of success, Vuitton began to experiment with the design of his luggage by introducing a new striped canvas pattern (1876) and later the still well-known Damier print (1888). The hand-painted patterns were developed to prevent counterfeits. Even in the late 1800s, Louis Vuitton was enough of a status symbol to warrant counterfeiting. In 1886, his son George invented and patented an ingenious locking system that made it impossible to pick the lock of their trunks. This lock is still used today. 1892 would prove to be a time of mourning for the family as Louis Vuitton passed away at the age of 70. His son, Georges Vuitton, became the new head of the luxury house. Louis Vuitton’s passing would prompt his son to once again change the print of their luggage, and in 1896, to honour his father, the signature LV monogram was introduced and patterned with LVs, quatrefoils, and flowers. Under his direction success followed and the iconic monogram rose to fame among elite clientele.

Condition: very good, only minor dings and scrapes to the canvas and leather trim. Lacking keys and inner trays. Please refer to photographs.

Dimensions: 59cm deep. 70cm high, 92cm wide