When I was a kid and wanted to find out anything, it meant hours poring over the Encyclopedia. Every family I knew had one and it took up two full shelves on our living room bookshelf.Now I just Google everything and am always amazed (and sometimes frustrated) by all the information. That said, I Googled “old trunks”. Through this random and unscientific search I found a website called ‘This Old Trunk‘. This is a fantastic website for antique trunks and a fun peek into the way people traveled a century or more ago. No 50 pound limits, no carry-on. Everything you owned fit into a trunk and followed you on your long and arduous journey by stagecoach or rail. The fact that any of these trunks survived is a true testament to this lost craft.
After scanning the website for contact info I sent off an email to Marvin Miller. Marvin was so helpful and he really knows his trunks. I knew that the trunk had been manufactured by Likly, McDonald and Rockett of Cleveland,Ohio because the original plate was still inside the trunk and in excellent condition.
From my photos Marvin was able to tell that the trunk is a canvas covered Barrel top or Round Top trunk. This style was made mostly during the 1880’s and 1890’s. It was a popular style in its day. On “Lizzie’s” trunk the inner tray is missing. This is where a woman would have stored her “delicates”as well as gloves, accessories, etc. Apparently , there also used to be a piece in the center lid that is missing which was a papers envelope for letters and such.
Another search shows the Likly, McDonald and Rockett company STILL in business in Ohio but it is now called the Likly-Rockett Luggage Co. I have contacted them to see if they kept any old ledgers listing the sales of their trunks. It’s a long shot.
Now that I have an approximate date of the trunk, my search for it’s owner “Lizzie May Ulmer, young actress” begins…
Category Archives: The trunk
The beginning…
The beginning was not all that auspicious. I was moving out of my tiny apartment in a century old house. As I packed my meager belongings into my car I realized that I had forgotten a few boxes that were stored in the attic. It was a hot summer day. Stagnant. I debated whether I wanted to climb the three flights of stairs again just for a few boxes of books and decorations. Did I mention the lack of air conditioning and that it was a HOT day? In the end I climbed into that stifling, dusty attic. As I dragged my boxes towards the stairs I took one last glance around and spied an old trunk hidden under the eaves.
The trunk looked old. Really old. The dust was was so thick I had a sneezing fit. The lock was broken and the handles were missing. I wiped some dust off with my already filthy hands and opened the lid. No jewels or gold doubloons. No antique clothing or exciting knickknacks. Nothing but more dust. Still, it looked like it could be just the thing to store towels and sheets and the like in my new place so I dragged it down to my car and off we went.
That was 15 years ago. With every move I have dragged this beaten up old trunk with me. For the last 7 years it has sat in my guest room filled with towels and blankets.
A week ago I was cleaning the guest room and took a good look at the trunk for the first time in years. The paper decorations lovingly glued inside, the broken but beautiful hardware and the faded and ripped playbill glued to the side that you can barely make out. It reads, ” young actress….Lizzie May Ulmer“.
me and lizzie may 