Monday 23 August 2010

Nellie the elephant packed her trunk ..................

and said thank you so much Freecycle!

I just happened to be in the right place at the right time yesterday and spotted an offer for a vintage travelling trunk.  The brain cell start whirring again and I thought I would take a chance as it would be ideal storage and for display at the craft markets and I was so lucky to be the receiver of this magnificent specimen ...









It has the manufacturer's name plate on the side which is John Pound & Co of London who had shops in various locations including Oxford Street and Leadenhall Street in the late Victorian/Edwardian period.  John Pound was also a Lord Mayor of London.

The surface looks like hide of some sort and it has wooden battens with brass protectors (but no key sadly) and original locks  ... internally it is very clean for it's age and has a sectioned insert.

I need to do a little detective work on how to clean it up but I don't want to strip it of its age and character.

As for the initials I think they must stand for Not Enough Holidays!!!

11 comments:

  1. I love it lala, what a brilliant find. They achieve good money on ebay and seem to be used as coffee tables. I like the way you've done a bit of research, I do the same - it's a great way of learning things isn't it. xx

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  2. Great trunk, and very lucky to have the insert as well. Very interesting to learn about it as well.

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  3. What a fantastic trunk. I wonder how many places it visited in its heyday.

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  4. Lucky you - what a fantastic find! I should think some 'Dubbin' polish, the stuff you used to wax walking boots with might bring that leather up well.

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  5. Fabulous find! I bet it has a few stories to tell.

    Jayne

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  6. Great trunk and I love the old labels...what a find.
    A couple of coats of wax polish will do the trick on the rails and case, even over the paper labels.
    Julie x

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  7. I'd have snapped that up too! Lucky you Debbie!

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  8. Brilliant find Lala ... as others have said ... the stories it could tell!

    (A cue for a children's book?)

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  9. What a gem, wouldn't be wonderful to pack your trunk and have it waiting for you when you arrived on holiday?
    I should think a just-damp cloth to remove the dust and a light waxing would bring it up well.

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  10. What a fabulous find! Its lovely.

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  11. Great trunk. I just love freecycle my best ever have was a Victorian brass bed...sadly it was a restoration piece that never got out of my shed and I passed it on when we moved... I also have a wonderful 1930's display cabinet that I was lucky enough to get. I also love the fact that you can give something that you no longer want away on it and save it going to the tip. Horray for Freecycle.

    Thank you for your enquiry about the stall at the Winter Fair. Ann and I would love to have you as a stallholder. If you let me have your e-mail address I will contact you with all the details. Welcome aboard.

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