I have been on the hunt for an antique/vintage trunk for some time. Craigslist is filled with these listings, but I have yet to purchase an item from a singular person. I guess it's the buyer-beware stigma that is attached to Craigslist. For the most part though, the trunks listed on Craigslist either aren't my "style"/what I'm looking for or they are way out of my price range.
Last week while doing my usual Craigslist search, I came across a listing for a vintage "traveling" trunk at a somewhat local used furniture store. There was only one photo of the trunk, but I knew that I had to have it. The listing was simple - an antique trunk in need of a little tlc but otherwise in good condition. The price was listed as $35. Seeing this price point, I knew I had to jump on it. So, I patiently waited until the next opening day since the store had off hours. I meandered through the used furniture store, filled with cupboards, dining room tables, couches, chairs, and the occasional ugly painting cast off from someone's living room.
There it was, standing open against a wall, with a lamp positioned on top of it. It was perfect and for the price of $35, it was even better. I sized up the trunk and thought "Sure, this will fit in my car." A salesperson loaded it up on a cart for me, I paid the $35 plus tax, and then shifted some items around in my car. Now, I own a VW Bug. I've crammed more objects in my car than most people believe will fit. It is amazing how in college, I could almost fit my entire dorm room contents in my car. Sure, this trunk could fit.
The trunk was large. Larger than I initially thought by looking at it. It was heavy. Super heavy, easily 100lbs. The back seat was put down in my bug and the salesperson & I managed to get the trunk in my trunk. It was a tight squeeze, but it fit. Now, I couldn't see out of my back window at all, but hey... you gotta do what you gotta do for collecting. If I turned my head around in the front seat, my nose met the trunk but again... I knew what I had & there was no way I wasn't going to find some way to get this home.
What I had purchased was a vintage Belber Wardrobe trunk. A trunk with a history.
The Belber Trunk & Bag Company was one of many companies that made a variety of trunks during the late 1800s and 1900s. Belber Trunk & Bag Company was founded in 1891. In 1920, Belber's manufacturing facility operated out of the Larkin/Belber building in Philadelphia.
This building was built in 1912 by the Larkin Company, who dealt in soap and home products. They sold the building to Belber Trunk & Bag Co. in 1920. The building was composed of twelve stories, plus a basement. As described in the application for being included on the National Register of Historic Places, the building had wonderful, industrial style qualities of a 1900s place of business.... "Built in 1912-1913, the Larkin/Belber Building's fenestration reflects its historic uses, with openings for showrooms and loading operations on the ground floor, banks of massive triple 1/1 iron sash windows lighting offices on the second floor, and multi-light iron windows denoting warehousing & manufacturing on the third through twelfth floors." More detail about the building... "Along Arch & 22nd Streets, the building's tall first floor once contained large showroom windows, while service entrances are located along Cuthbert Street and in the western facade, where a rail spur formerly entered the building." The Belber Company added a cornice, rooftop sign (see photo) and a neon clock that was affixed to a water tower. The cornice, sign, & neon clock have been lost to history. The main stairway runs from the first floor to the roof. "It is sheathed in marble and ornamental pressed metal (dimpled on the walls, forming a grid pattern on the ceiling), with decorative wrought iron railings, between the first floor and the landing above the second floor, where the view of visitors to the second floor effectively ended."
The Larkin Company used the first floor as a showroom/ loading, the second floor as offices, and the subsequent floors as manufacturing and warehouse use. When the Belber Company bought the building in 1920, they basically used the building in the same fashion, except for renting out portions of the lower floors to the Philadelphia Daily News and textile/garment manufacturers. Belber produced a variety of trunks, bags, and hangers.
~ Belber Company History ~
Before moving to the Larkin building, the Belber Company originally occupied a small building in Philadelphia at 2nd & Bambridge Streets. The move to the larger building was a must needed venue change, as business began to boom. The 1920s saw an upsurge in the consumption of trunks by the middle class. Belber's trunks were seen as a luxury item, but one that a person of middle class could afford without breaking the bank. Advertising was done in magazines, classifieds, and on the building itself. When the trunk company bought the building in 1920, they employed Leroy Rothschild, a local architect, to add some personal touches to the building including the Belber sign on the roof & the neon clock, one of the first in the city, affixed to the water tower. The building was in a prime location due to foot traffic and the railroad being nearby.
"The company's workforce consisted primarily of men who built wood frames, cut and stretched leather, and affixed handles and brass hinges to trunks and suitcases on the top five floors of the building. Women made up approximately ten percent of the workforce, largely in sewing, clerical, and sales positions." In 1947, Belber moved its operations to Woodbury, NJ and a variety of different manufacturers occupied the Larkin/Belber building until 1980, when it remained vacant. As with many old buildings, it became a place for vandals, graffiti, and for the effects of time.Be sure to check out this great collection of photographs from the Larkin/Belber Building pre-condominiums. However, due to its significance in the industrial era and the details that still remain in the building, it was submitted for approval to be declared a national historic place, which it became in 2003. In 2004, Orens Brothers, Inc. bought the property and developed it into 170 loft-style units with an attached garage and commercial space. To see what the Larkin/Belber building looks like now, check out the Orens Brothers real estate listing. Rent is a mere $2,600 a month for a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo. I just hope that the people that reside in the condos have some sense of history about what was there prior... I hate to see history disappear.
- For a more thorough history of the Larkin/Belber building, check out the application for the National Historic Places nomination.
*the story of the Trunk to be continued*
~ Flea Fact ~
Every item has a history. From the initial idea, to production, to the market, and finally in the hands of a buyer. Learning about the history of what you are buying can be as much find as searching for the item itself.
"The company's workforce consisted primarily of men who built wood frames, cut and stretched leather, and affixed handles and brass hinges to trunks and suitcases on the top five floors of the building. Women made up approximately ten percent of the workforce, largely in sewing, clerical, and sales positions." In 1947, Belber moved its operations to Woodbury, NJ and a variety of different manufacturers occupied the Larkin/Belber building until 1980, when it remained vacant. As with many old buildings, it became a place for vandals, graffiti, and for the effects of time.Be sure to check out this great collection of photographs from the Larkin/Belber Building pre-condominiums. However, due to its significance in the industrial era and the details that still remain in the building, it was submitted for approval to be declared a national historic place, which it became in 2003. In 2004, Orens Brothers, Inc. bought the property and developed it into 170 loft-style units with an attached garage and commercial space. To see what the Larkin/Belber building looks like now, check out the Orens Brothers real estate listing. Rent is a mere $2,600 a month for a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo. I just hope that the people that reside in the condos have some sense of history about what was there prior... I hate to see history disappear.
- For a more thorough history of the Larkin/Belber building, check out the application for the National Historic Places nomination.
*the story of the Trunk to be continued*
~ Flea Fact ~
Every item has a history. From the initial idea, to production, to the market, and finally in the hands of a buyer. Learning about the history of what you are buying can be as much find as searching for the item itself.
This is such a great and interesting post - thank you!! I too am the proud owner of a beautiful Belber trunk...and several Taylor Trunks from the turn of the century -- all belonging to my father's great father...they are beautiful. Did you ever find out what the estimated value is for your trunk?? Thanks, Bob
ReplyDeleteLucky you to have a trunk with a family history! I haven't had my Belber trunk appraised, but have seen similar trunks sell around the $100 range or more, depending on the condition. For now, I'm happy just to have it & almost have completed airing it out... it had a slight musty smell from age/the shop it was sold at, but nothing too extreme. I plan on using it for storage as well as a decorative piece and can't wait to have it set up on display!
Deletelooking for a iron that was fit in a belber suitcase. bought one but the iron is missing.
ReplyDelete