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pirates lair treasure chest

STUNNING 120+ Year Old Large Metal and Wood Dome Top with a Blue Metallic Finish on the Pressed Tin Floral Design. The Pressed Floral Design Was First Scrubbed and then Lightly Sanded with an Overall Coat of Blue Metallic Finishing. The Exterior Hardware Was Hand Sanded and Polished Down to the Base Metal Giving it that Beautiful Silver Finish! This was a High-End "Top-of-Line" Trunk Back in it's Day, it Even Sported Lead Caps on the Nail Heads For Aesthetic Purposes Which we are Including.

The Interior Paper was Removed, Wood was Scrubbed and Sanded to Reveal a Wonderfull Grain and a Patina that Only 100+ Year Old Wood Can Achieve. The Inside Curved Lid Shows the Extremely Thin Sawed Wood Planks Which Also Have A Beautifully Rich and Intricate Grain and a Perfect Example of being the Original Forerunner of Todays Plywood. This Curved Wooden Top Has Three of These Very Thinly Cut Planks Which Were Easily Pliable and Bent After Being Submerged Into the Dome Top Configuration. The Trunk As Found Had an Overall Golden Hue to the Pressed Tin Design Which was Either Applied at the Time of the Original Construction, or was the Golden Yellowing of 100 Year Old Varnish. We Needed to Remove This Golden Finish Because of Severe Oxidation of the Metal. But The BEST of this Trunk is the Original and Working Lift Out Tray, Compartments with Covers, and the Hidden Lid Compartments All of Which Have the Original Victorian Lithographs!! New Leather Handles and Working Lock but No Key! Dated March 16, 1880 (hardware), June 7, 1881 (wheels) and July 8, 1884 (lock) - #205


CAll TO ORDER 540 659 6209


UPDATE: We have identified the original owner, Dr. Franklin L. Crane of Topeka, Kansas!! On the Side of the Trunk in Black Block Letters We Found the Name and Place: "F.L. Crane, Topeka, Kas." which was Covered up during Restoration. We have subsequently come to find that apparently he was a prominent citizen and landowner when Kansas was still a territory and is famous for establishing The Topeka Cemetery in February 1859 and is the oldest organized cemetery in Kansas. Dr. Crane was head of The Topeka Cemetery Association until his death in 1884. Quite possibly upon his death this trunk (dated 1884) was used to store some of his memorabilia! (See the Before and After Photo's Below)


Antique Dome Top Steamer Trunk #205 View'; return true Antique Steamer Trunk #205'; return true

Antique Dome Top Steamer Chest #205'; return true Antique Dome Top Steamer Trunk #205'; return true

Antique Dome Top Steamer Trunk #205 View'; return true Antique Steamer Dome Top Trunk #205'; return true

Antique Dome Top Steamer Trunk #205 View'; return true Antique Dome Top Steamer Trunk #205'; return true

Antique Steamer Dome Top Trunk #205 View'; return true Antique Steamer Dome Top Trunk #205'; return true

Antique Steamer Chest #205'; return true Antique Steamer Trunk #205'; return true

Antique Dome Top Chest #205'; return true Antique Dome Top Chest #205'; return true

Antique Chest #205'; return true Antique Chest #295'; return true

Antique Chest #205'; return true Antique Chest #295'; return true

Antique Chest #205'; return true Antique Chest #295'; return true

Antique Chest #205'; return true Antique Chest #295'; return true

Antique Chest #205'; return true Antique Chest #295'; return true

Antique Chest #205'; return true Antique Chest #295'; return true



 
Large Metal Dome Top Steamer Trunk - #205
RAREST OF THE RARE - STUNNING! We only get one or two of these a year, and rarely available for public purchase! This has EVERYTHING! Pressed Tin Metal Exterior in a Floral Design refinished in a beautiful blue metallic with rich brown oak wood straps and metal hardware lightly sanded down to original base metal!! The interior paper was removed and then sanded to reveal a pleasing wood grain and beautiful, rich patina which was left au naturale!! But the best is the original lithographs found on the inside lid and on the covers of the lift out tray compartments. The lift out tray has the original hardware to secure it in the lid when getting into the trunk contents! IT DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS! Both the lid and tray compartments work and have the ORIGINAL HARDWARE. The paper was removed from the lift out tray and wood lightly sanded, but the lithographs were saved, and like the interior wood they were left in the natural wood with only spar varnish applied to restore and protect this 120 year old wood! New Leather Handles with Original End Caps, Working Lock AND Key, Dated Hardware of March 16, 1880 (hardware), June 7, 1881 (wheels) and July 8, 1884 (lock).
 
Antique Steamer Trunk #205 Click Photo!
  
Large Dome Top Steamer Trunk: 30.5"L x 17.5"D x 25"H
A Nice and Tight Dome Top Antique Trunk with A Beautifully Refinished Metallic Blue Floral Filigree Design. All wood was left in its natural state after light sanding with only spar varnish being applied. But the most stunning and sought-after aspect of this trunk is the completely functional inside lid compartments, lift-out tray and compartments, and the saved victorian lithographs.

UPDATE: We have been able to trace the provenance of this antique trunk to its original owner, Dr. Franklin L. Crane of Topeka, Kanasas who was one of the founding settlers of Kanasas and was a prominent and notable citizen of his time! He passed on in 1884 and most likely this trunk was purchased to store his memorabilia of his life and times.
 
$2545.
Sold!
  
Call To Order
540 659 6209


Click HERE to Review how this and other of our Pirate Chests, Treasure Chests, and Antique Chests were Restored, our Antique Restoration Process, and How To Restore Antique Nautical Furniture!

 
OPTIONAL - Trunk Wood Engraving Examples and Prices
Custom Designed, Handcrafted, and Hand Lettered in Caligraphy on your Antique Chest
  
Personalized Burnt Wood Engravings
Click Here To Review Sample Engravings
  
Personalize Your 100+ Year Old Antique Trunk in Perpetuity!
 
Antique Trunks as a Shadow Box and Storage Chest!
Customer Photographic Examples of our Antique Trunks Being used as a Military or Naval Retirement Shadow Box and Storage Chest!!
  
Military or Naval Retirement Ceremony Shadow Box
Click Here for Sample Shadow Box Photographs From Customers
  
Why just get a shadow box or a newly made trunk with no history! One of our 100+ Year Old Nautical Antique Trunks can be used for both a Shadow Box and Storage Chest for your Uniforms, Photograph Albums, and Memorabilia!


 
Rare 1880 to Early 1890's Photograph of Antique Trunk Factory and Workers Using Albumen Silver Print Method, Mounted to a Period Board Which Dates The Photo
Note the Flatop and Two Monitor or Waterfall Trunks, Each Being Individually Unique at the Very Time of Production.
  
antique trunk factory workers
Click Photo For Larger View and More Historical Information!
  
The Pirate's Lair Exclusive!
We all romanticize about the mystique of these antique trunks. The possible owners and travels that each steamer trunk has taken, along with the high level of detailed craftsmanship in the original production of each and every steamer trunk with that individualized character giving both intrinsic and non-intrinsic value.
  
However the truth of the matter is that the majority of these trunks were made towards the middle to end of the 19th century just at the dawning of the industrial revolution here in America when there were no child labor laws or protections. This rare photo clearly illustrates at least 3 generations of owners and workers, ages appearing to range from pre-teen/adolescent, teens/early adult, through middle to old age!
It was a common practice that loyal and productive craftsmen would be allowed to bring their children to work with them to learn a craft, so many of the children in this photograph were more than likely sons of the men shown.
  
Note the adolescent factory workers on top row! Note that there are no women in the photo! This is due to the fact that at that time "proper" women did not work outside of the home, certainly not in a factory. Everybody appears to look pretty stern, having on their arms crossed and "work" faces put on.
Copy of Photo On Request With Every Trunk Purchase


The Pirate's Lair
Division of DataCity, Inc.
78 Canterbury Drive
Stafford, Virginia 22554
Phone: 540-659-6209
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The following Text is soley for the consumption of Spiders, Bots and other Dark Denizens of the Internet: All nautical sea chests, or a domed sea chest also known as a camel back.
Antique Chest for sale
Antique Trunks and Sea Antique Chest with a Shadow Box or a Shadowbox make the perfect naval retirement gift or navy or naval promotion gift for enlisted or officer.

Store your uniforms, flags, other naval militaria and mementos or used in a family heirloom treasures.
Beautiful Nautical Dome Top or Humpback Antique Sea chest for a retirement ceremony or military promotion gift.