In this video, I will take you through the process of checking, disassembly, and cleaning of the trunk.
I will show you how I restored an old steamer trunk that I bought from an online sales website. The trunk was in a worse state than it was described in the pictures, but I decided to try to save it. The bottom of the chest was completely destroyed by water and humidity, and the reinforcements on the corners made of compressed cardboard had to be completely rebuilt. The upper part of the trunk lid was destroyed in 70%, and the first layer of the plywood was swollen, cracked, and detached due to water exposure. The side panels of the trunk were also cracked, faded, and damaged. The leather handles were completely destroyed due to decades of exposure to various weather, travel, and storage conditions. The interior was also destroyed and full of mold, so it required complete restoration.
You will be able to follow all the way to the end of this journey, where I will complete other repairs and replacements of missing elements.
Please note:
I restored the steamer trunk out of passion and for my own enjoyment in my living room on the 10th floor of a residential complex. This is why the whole process took about a month and a half. I used my phone to film the restoration, but unfortunately, I realized at the end that I filmed everything vertically instead of landscape. However, this was just one more thing I learned during this restoration
Steamer Trunk Dimensions:
Dimensions:
Width: 62 cm/ Lengh: 102 cm/ Height: 65 cm
The only marks on my steamer trunk are on the locks, which read “ATKINSON & LONG MFG CO EVERLASTING LOCK NEW YORK N.Y.” This lock maker was one of the earliest premier lock making companies. I checked several sites about antique trunks and found a couple of photos that are quite close-looking to mine. Most likely, the trunk is from the mid-1850s to 1930s. In 1836, A & L Everlasting trunk locks started being manufactured by machines and went right up through the late 1920s.
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