Packing for a Vacation in 1907

Packing for a Vacation in 1907

Imagine it is the early 20th Century and you are packing for summer vacation. What did your luggage look like? Did you pack your clothes in a trunk? What were your options? Today we are familiar with rolling luggage on wheels, but trunks and suitcases over a hundred years ago looked quite different.
Catalogue No. 101
(1907) by
Herr, Thomas & Co.
provides a peek into the past, specifically the year 1907. Flipping through this trade catalog, we will learn about the types of luggage available in that time period. A few other items illustrated in this catalog might also have made a vacation fun and memorable.
Herr, Thomas & Co., Pittsburg, PA.
Catalogue No. 101
(1907), front cover [page 1], explanation of benefits of buying direct from the company.
Packing is not always easy. What do you bring and what do you leave behind? Do you really need that extra sweater? Maybe it would be easier if you just brought your entire dresser along. That might not be quite possible, but in 1907 there was a piece of luggage called the Dresser Trunk (below, top left). It was described as “embodying the latest ideas of travel comfort” and “combining the uses of both a trunk and dresser.” The Dresser Trunk was composed of three-ply veneer bass wood, covered with canvas, painted, varnished, lined with cloth, and the frame was reinforced with hard wood strips. It also had hand riveted wrought iron clamps, corners, hinges, and fastenings.
A convenient feature was its ability to open on the side. Instead of lifting everything on top to get to something on the bottom, the drawers made it possible to go directly to the location of a specific item without interfering with the contents of the rest of the trunk. In other words, the Dresser Trunk functioned just like a dresser with drawers. There were three drawers, one large and two of medium size. The large drawer included two compartments. There were also other compartments beneath the large drawer and in the lid. Wondering where that mirror was located? Inside the lid was a French bevel mirror. A Yale lock safely secured belongings inside the trunk. The Dresser Trunk measured 32 inches long, 21 inches wide, and 21 inches high with the lid closed or 42 inches high with the lid raised.
Herr, Thomas & Co., Pittsburg, PA.
Catalogue No. 101
(1907), page 74, Dresser Trunk, Suit Case, Leather Suit Case, Cabinet Bag, Trunk, Steamer Trunk, Hand Bag or Satchel.
Maybe bringing a Dresser Trunk is not quite what you had in mind for a vacation. In that case, Herr, Thomas & Co. also offered other trunks, such as the Steamer Trunk (above, middle right). Its interior was composed of a tray divided into a large and small compartment with four additional large compartments beneath the tray. It also provided security by using a Yale lock.
Other options included a simple suitcase, such as the ones shown above (middle left). The Suit Case advertised for $2.85 in this 1907 catalog included a cloth-lined int…