Packing case or trunk

1785-1810

Measurements

15-3/4 in x 28-1/2 in x 25-1/2 in

Materials

Wood (possibly white cedar), leather, hide, iron (fittings), paper (lining)

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of Sarah A.G. Smith

Accession Number

1966.309

Condition Notes

Some of the hide covering has split away from the tacks attaching it to the case.

Provenance

By tradition, the packing case belonged to Philadelphia merchant Joshua Fisher (1707-1783).  See "Comments."

Comments

The nearly square trunk or case or crate is made of a wood that appears to be white cedar, commonly used in Philadelphia and environs.  Many angled iron straps reinforce all of the edges.  Animal hide covers the wood and is held in place with brass tacks.  Each side has an iron lifting handle, and an iron lock in front secures the lid.  Inside, a linen strap that supports the lid in an open position has broken apart in the middle.

The inside of the trunk is lined with paper as was common in early trunks.  That paper was often uncut pages of book print; newspaper was also used.  The paper inside this trunk is uncut book pages that have been over-printed with what appears to be a wood-block design of large and small circles laid out in rows.  It obscures, but does not hide, the text underneath.  An early accession record for this trunk states that this printing bears dates of 1787 and 1791, but no evidence supporting that claim was given, and the date have yet to be found.  If true, however, that dating undermines the traditional connection to Joshua Fisher, who died in 1783.  The trunk might have been used by Joshua's son Miers instead.

Philadelphia merchant Joshua Fisher (1707-1783) was born in Sussex County, Delaware, and appointed Deputy Surveyor General of Delaware by Thomas Penn. He moved to Philadelphia in 1746.  His son Miers Fisher, also a merchant, lived from 1748 to 1819.