Rare Early Louis Vuitton Damier Steamer Trunk with Ballantine Family Provenance

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Early Louis Vuitton Damier Canvas Steamer Trunk with Provenance to Charles Bradley of the Ballantine Family

An exceptional and highly … Read more Early Louis Vuitton Damier Canvas Steamer Trunk with Provenance to Charles Bradley of the Ballantine Family

An exceptional and highly atmospheric early Louis Vuitton Damier canvas steamer trunk dating to the late 19th century, retaining extensive original surface, hand-painted ownership markings, solid brass hardware, blackened iron fittings, and documented provenance to Charles Bradley, former president of P. Ballantine & Sons.

Constructed in the iconic Damier checkerboard canvas introduced by Louis Vuitton in 1888 as one of the house’s earliest anti-counterfeiting patterns, this trunk represents the golden age of transatlantic luxury travel. The hardware is stamped:

“1 Rue Scribe Paris / Louis Vuitton London / 454 Strand”

A highly desirable early marking associated with Vuitton’s London operations during the late 1880s through 1890s, strongly suggesting a production date circa 1888–1895.

The trunk retains its original configuration with:
reinforced hardwood battens
brass-bound corners
japanned iron structural supports
branded brass rivets
central lock plate
removable interior tray fitted with original Louis Vuitton bronze hardware

Particularly compelling is the large hand-painted green ownership panel bearing the initials:
“C B / 23,” Accompanied by surviving family history discovered inside the trunk, including:
a period photographic portrait of Charles Bradley,
a New York Times obituary,
and an original identification tag.

Together these materials provide remarkable provenance linking the trunk directly to the Bradley/Ballantine family circle—one of the important industrial and social dynasties of Gilded Age Newark and New York society.

The construction itself reflects Vuitton’s transitional 19th-century engineering, combining polished brass prestige mounts with blackened iron structural elements designed to withstand the rigors of steamship and rail travel. The contrast between oxidized brass, aged hardwood slats, cracked Damier canvas, and painted insignia gives the trunk an extraordinary sculptural presence impossible to replicate through restoration.

An important Belle Époque luxury travel object equally suited for use as a center table, interior statement piece, or collector-grade example of early Louis Vuitton craftsmanship and American industrial-era provenance.

Condition consistent with age and authentic travel use. The trunk retains a highly desirable untouched surface with original Damier canvas, a painted ownership panel, brass mounts, and interior fittings present. Showing expected wear, including scuffing, age cracking, oxidation, surface dryness, minor losses, and areas of separation between leather and canvas. A beautifully preserved example with strong historical character and presentation.

Measurements:
39.5 inches wide x 21.5 inches deep x 23 inches high

Interior removable tray:
37 inches wide x 19 inches deep x 5.5 inches high See less