Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Antique Immigrant Trunk, Pressed Tin


Many years ago, there was an estate auction at the home of a little old lady who attended our church. My husband and I bid on this trunk and got it for $15.00. It's made of metal, wood, and pressed tin. I've always thought it was pretty. These days it sits at the foot of our bed.

Label on the inside of the lid



April 26, 1902

I never understand why people sell stuff like this, but I suppose at the time it just didn't mean anything to her, or because she was breaking up housekeeping, she was eager to get rid of extra stuff. I've never had that problem. Unfortunately. (Although I threw away my collection of Stax potato chip containers. Those beautiful bright blue and yellow containers look like they should useful for something! I know, this is how hoarding begins, and I don't have them anymore. But it was tough. I like containers. They're the better part of many products.)

It's got interesting hardware and leather handles




including this decorative metal button


and joiner hardware

The color on the tin is original. We've done nothing to 'destroy the patina,'
I've learned something from 'Antiques Roadshow!'
 


I suspect this trunk came from 'the old country,' most likely owned by a Scandinavian immigrant, like that woman's parents.

Maybe we need to look at our belongings with an eye to the future, not just whether or not they're getting in our way. You never know what the family might think is special. I threw away a little red metal shelf because I had absolutely no use for it any longer and considered it a piece of junk. A while later, our daughter asked me about it and was quite horrified that I had pitched it. It's become a joke between us now.

Are you going to keep special things that will be passed on to your children and grandchildren? Or are you the type that gets rid of it if you're no longer using it?


P.S. Can you think of a use for those Stax containers?


***

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is an outside chance that this post will be linked to one or more of the following:  Mosaic Monday and The Marketplace  and Market Yourself Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and  Making the World Cuter Mondays and You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Treasure Box Tuesday  and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday  and What we Accomplished Wednesday and  Adorned From Above  and Rurality Blog Hop and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and Weekend Reflections and  Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and   Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and The Charm of Home and  Share Your Creativity and A Favorite Thing Saturday and Weekly Top Shot and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday

40 comments:

MadSnapper said...

I do love the tin part of the trunk, have not seen tin printed like that. it is a nice trunk and what a deal. I like to watch Roadshow but alas we have nothing worth anything because the moment it has no use, it is GONE... my mother loved containers of any kind and they did not have to have a use. she just piled them on the shelves that daddy built on one wall of the bed room and she made floor to ceiling curtains to cover all the shelves....

Suzan said...

Lovely old trunk!! Don't you wish it could talk!!

Vee said...

I seem to be the one the family trusts to keep the piles of stuff. It is all fascinating; however, just as we can not drag great-great-great grandmother herself along with us through this life, we should not expect to drag all her things along either. Still, I'd never be able to part with this beautiful trunk. It must be perfect for the end of the bed. As for the containers...when I was baking cookies to send to a certain soldier overseas, I'd buy Pringles cans to package them. I think one might also come in handy for keeping crochet hooks, game pieces, dry beans, spaghetti? LOL!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

I adore the trunk, and oh, the stories it could tell!

We tend to keep things, but not so sure about the nieces and nephews. My goddaughter, however, is a keeper!

xo

Sheila

TexWisGirl said...

really neat trunk.

Daniela @Frugal Aint Cheap said...

I guess "stuff" in the end is just "stuff". For me there are a few special things that I would not give away nor sell. We just got a free table. Undeneath there was an old handwritten note.

Ruth Kelly said...

Very pretty trunk. I had one once but didn't keep it. I wish I had now.

Donna said...

What a lovely old trunk! We had to part with many treasures when we downsized. It broke my heart to part with some of them. But it had to be done. I would guess that my stuff will be auctioned off sometime. Unfortunately, they won't know the stories that go with the various items!

Heide at ApronHistory said...

What a beautiful truck! It is gorgeous! We also have a truck in the family. It was my mother's step-grandfather's mother's truck. Not really a blood relation, but close enough for us. She was from Sweden. When Mom was 13 she and her Dad painted the trunk red. (Yikes!) It is really cute that way, but....
We did some research on it and discovered at the height of the emigration era (1880-1900) the biggest producer of trunks was the Untied States!! The made them for export. Fascinating, isn't it? Lol! I guess the majority of them came back!

Anonymous said...

I love this trunk. Thanks for sharing the great photos with us.

Muffy's Marks said...

Your trunk is beautiful. Our family has a trunk like that. My step-grandfather built it to come to the US. Its all pine boards. I had used it as a coffee table, and now my daughter has it. We even found the ship roster to go with it, when we cleaned out my parents house. I think it would make a good blog story. Thanks for the idea.

Denise said...

Such a beautiful trunk.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

HI Judy I love this trunk I have 2 the same shape however do not have your lovely decoration.

This N That said...

There comes a time when one must downsize and get rid of stuff...That's when we find out that most of it isn't worth anything except to you..sadly

Pamela Gordon said...

Your trunk is certainly beautiful and worth keeping as they are great for storage if they don't smell musty. I keep things hoping our daughter will be interested but they live out west so getting things to her is impossible and their style is very minimal. Some day they will have a lot of stuff to go through. Our son, so far, is not interested.

Susie said...

I am scrubbing up an old meat platter that used to be my parents. I am giving it to my granddaughter for a bridal shower gift. Plus money.:):) I hope she will think it's worth having. It's nothing fancy. But I want her to own it and know it was her great grandparents' platter. I love looking at old trunks and wondering how many trips they have been on. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

Butterfly 8)(8 Bungalow said...

It's a very beautiful trunk.

I like beautiful things, so I try to bring home only what I love.

We downsized, and I gave several rooms of furniture to two sisters, yet I still might have too many pieces. I still have my spouse's office and the shed to fix, so we will see.

One of my problems is my love for books.

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

Your trunk is a treasure. At first glance I thought it had been semi covered in wallpaper or fabric. Beautiful pressed tin. Love the closeups too.
Joy

The Cranky said...

There are a few pieces I would never part with, but for the most part I have no problem getting rid of things. My daughter and spouse, however, are the complete opposite.....argh!

That really is a lovely old trunk and the tinwork is gorgeous.

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

I love the old trunk. I would never have gotten rid of it. There's plenty of stuff here that I should get rid of though!

sweetbriardreams said...

Something as beautiful as this would never leave my house and would contain so many memories generated over a life time.

As to what I am keeping for my children - so many things that my grandparents left behind, but mainly papers full of stories of their ancestors to pass on (and hopefully the book once I have written it!) xx

Primitive Stars said...

Oh I love that old trunk, a real treasure, blessings Francine.

Chatty Crone said...

Oh my gosh I love that trunk. I bet it was someone's special trunk - oh what the stories could tell...

podso said...

Love the trunk. We had a similar one and I wonder where it is now--we finally stopped moving it in our many moves. yours is prettier and I would think some young person would want it.

Olive said...

That the leather handles are intact is remarkable. Usually they are broken. If the top is curved and I am now off the page it's a ladies trunk which sat on the flat topped husbands trunk on the ship. Joe and I keep far too much I am afraid. best,olive

Terri D said...

Oh Judy, it wouldn't do for us to live close to each other. I also love containers...and bowls and platters! The trunk is a treasure, for sure.

Carla from The River said...

Hello Judy,
I love your trunk.
I received some items from my grandma after she passed away. I am so happy to have them. They are items I remember playing with when I would visit her and my grandpa.

Anonymous said...

This is my first visit to your blog and I have to say the pictures are beautiful. I love this trunk and cannot believe you got it for $15! It is beautiful.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

You took the most beautiful close ups of this amazing trunk! I love all of the details...something that will last forever, too! Hugs!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

You took the most beautiful close ups of this amazing trunk! I love all of the details...something that will last forever, too! Hugs!

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

I love all the details on that trunk. A little treasure to keep forever!

Deborah@Green Willow Pond said...

I don't usually have a hard time parting with stuff I've purchased, but things that were my grandparents, especially I have a hard time getting rid of, even when I don't really like them! I keep thinkng that our children or grandchildren might want them someday.

Your trunk is very beautiful and unusual. Thank you for sharing at What We Accomplished Wednesdays. Have a lovely week! ~Deborah

Anonymous said...

Love the trunk, such a deal for $15.00. I save mostly if I truly love it!Pinning this!
Cindy

AnnMarie aka Vintage Junkie aka NaNa said...

I love your trunk! It is so different and unique. I don't get why someone would part with it! I can't get rid of things if I wanted to (and I don't!). My youngest daughter (who is now 29)firmly tells me that I am not getting rid of the things from her childhood home! Not sure what I will do with 300 plus items if I ever close my Etsy shop!!

Donna Wilkes said...

Lovely trunk with the original patina in place. I did keep every reusable container, but before Christmas I threw out four trash bags of them. Then my nieces came for Christmas wanting coffee plastic containers for craft storage. They were horrified I had chucked them.

Anonymous said...

Great trunk! I love the patina on the metal!

Gigi @ Old World Patina

The Charm of Home said...

Beautiful trunk. I have never seen color applied to tin like that. Thanks for sharing.
Sherry

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

What a treasure this is.

There was an old ( and gigantic ) steamer trunk in the mission store last year. If I had someplace to put it I might have lugged it home but I did enjoy seeing it, at least.

This..with the tin and all is just extraordinary : )

Unknown said...

Love this trunk!! I have one that is in very bad shape that I will soon start to restore. Pinning this one for ideas!!

Hugs

Unknown said...

Hoping back over to show the hubby!! So glad you took great pictures of the details:))

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