Images(4)

Trunk

Date1784-1800

OriginEngland, London (probably)

MediumWood (possibly deal or elm), leather, paper, iron, brass, and linen

DimensionsOverall: 15 × 36 × 19 in (38.1 × 91.44 × 48.26cm)

Credit LineGift of James Somerville in memory of Robert Stanton Somerville, Sr. & Frances Greenhow Holladay Somerville, Lewis Littlepage Somerville, Sr. & Helen Somerville, and Lewis Littlepage Somerville, Jr.

Object number2026-26

DescriptionRectangular trunk with lid hinged on rear with iron strap hinges, covered in leather, ornamented in brass nails, and reinforced with metal corners and rectangular straps. Top of trunk has oval of brass nails in center with “L.L.” in center of oval. Brass nails outline edges and curved metal applied to corners. Metal rectangular bands nailed front to back across lid flanking brass-nail oval; shorter metal bands span the corners of the lid, two at the front and rear center, one each end centered. Four short metal bands reinforce the front and back to the bottom and one each reinforces the front and back corners; curved pieces at each corner, top and bottom. Iron hasp and rectangular lock plate with rotating escutcheon cover centered on front; large ovoid iron handles attached in center of sides; Three boards nailed lengthwise to underside of bottom; interior formerly lined with printed book pages overlaid with stamped round black pattern including page with poetry, “The OCCASIONAL ADDRESS to the Audience before Dr. Stratford’s Tragedy of Lord Russel as spoken at the Theater Royal in Drury Lane…Friday the 20th of August 1784”; remnants of linen (?) straps attached to interior of case and lid. Also under "Accounts of New Books and Pamhlets." (p.492?) a mention of "Memoirs of M. DeVoltaire, written by himself, 8 vols. 3s 6d. Robinson" referring to a volume MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF VOTAIRE, WRITTEN BY HIMSELF translated from the French in 1784 published by G. Robinson N. 25 Pater-Noster-Row, London. And "Representaiton to his Majesty on the Speech from the Throne, moved by the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, Etc. 4to. 1s. 6d." also published in 1784. Other pages include "The Musical Pair 490", 491, and 493 with headers including "Poetry"Label TextThis trunk was originally owned by Lewis Littlepage (1763-1802) of New Kent County, Virginia. It is marked with his initials "L.L." on the lid in brass nails. Along with a second example, this trunk held a portion of Littlepage's wardrobe, many pieces of which are now in the Colonial Williamsburg collection, when he died in 1802. The trunks were described on his inventory as “London bound" trunks, likely due to the metal straps that reinforced, bound, the edges and the place of manufacture.

Littlepage attended the College of William and Mary and later served with John Jay at the Court of Spain during the American Revolution. He spent decades in Europe with the Spanish Army during the attack on Minorca and the Seige of Gilbraltar and in Poland. By 1786 he was admitted to the Court of Poland where he served as a Chamberlain to King Stanislaw II until 1795. With war raging across Europe and the second partition of Poland, Littlepage was forced to leave the Court and finally returned home to Virginia in 1801 where he died the following year. His trunks would have been necessary accoutrements for his international travels.