Steamer trunks part 2

Continuing my exploration of two old steamer trunks in the attic...

The contents of this one date from the 1920's to 1950.

Trunk #2 is older and smaller than #1 and could be military issue. The lock was pried open.

The top compartment

 Looks like something had been pasted inside the lid and torn off. 

A large bag of something-or-other.

Yarn? A trunkful of yarn?

Baby shoes.

This round chocolate box contained pretty scarves, some or all from the '30's.

I love this one. It's sheer and embellished with sequins.

There were also a few odd gloves and old papers. Nothing exciting so I'll move on. 

The lower compartment

Although two knitting totes were at the top of the lower compartment there was no more yarn.

The front and back of the unusual bag on the left are made of wood painted white and joined at the sides with a denim-like material. The tote on the right has a Caribbean motif.

This slinky white satin dress is from the 1930's and reminds me of Jean Harlow. Because of its age and stains that indicate it wasn't cleaned before being stored I decided not to risk ironing the garment. 

  

I wonder if this was a wedding dress converted into an evening gown. The back was tacked open to make a plunging V and the crushed velvet bow was crudely sewn in place.

The only tag is so well hidden on a side seam that I didn't notice it at first and initially thought the dress was handmade. NRA stands for the National Recovery Act, enacted during the Great Depression to promote economic recovery. This tag was used from 1933 to 1935. Nice! There's no mystery about how old this is. 

Matson Lines Hawaii-themed menu covers from 1939.

 

Matson was a Pacific cruise line that eventually succumbed to the popularity of air travel. Blank menu covers could be ordered from the ship's purser and these were still in their original envelope. My parents had several framed and I always thought they were just pretty pictures. I had no idea more were stashed away.

As often happens I wish I could ask my mom where these came from, how old they are and what they were intended for. The brown wrapping paper has a notation that says, "Sequin material. $4.25/yard." My camera didn't capture the iridescent colors. The sparkle-flower material is long enough to make a wrist-length sleeve.

More handkerchiefs to add to my unexpected collection. 

Several are embroidered with my mom's maiden name initials prior to her marriage in 1934.  

Dumpling loves vintage hankies.

 

This is probably the newest item in the trunk. Not-Patty is modeling my bathrobe from around 1950. I wish this were available now in adult sizes. It's lightly padded for warmth and the (nylon?) fabric is wonderfully soft.

It appears that other garments in the trunk can be ironed safely. I'd rather show pretty things that aren't noticeably wrinkled so I'll end this entry and start working on the clothes. 

Ironing. 

Ugh.

    

Unusual discovery

I'm finishing up Steamer Trunks Part 2, sorting through a few odds and ends and taking pictures. While looking through a box of silk scarves I found this. What can I say? It's certainly unique.

How old is this? While looking around online trying to determine the scarf's age I found out that Lucky Strike's pack was changed from green to white in 1942. So far I haven't found anything like it and will continue to do more research.

I still have that! #3

Will the discoveries ever end? I found another box full of photos that date from the 1940's and 50's.

Remember this little guy? From the picture it's difficult to gauge how large he is.

 This is undated but I was 8 or 9 years old and we were living in Newport, RI. 

I miss the New England snow! The poodle originally had a yellow collar and leash that matched his bows.

Up to the attic- Steamer trunks part 1

Before I began writing this blog I hadn't been in my home's attic for at least five years and have never spent more than a few minutes there. It's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter and there are giant spiders lurking everywhere. I've never actually seen the spiders but I know they're hiding up there, waiting to jump on me. 

The attic steps. Giant spiderwebs spun by giant spiders.

I've been to the attic several times now. The first time I grabbed a few things and quickly fled down the stairs. During my second exploration I ignored the invisible spider threat and took time to walk around. Ugh. Silverfish and moths have attacked paper ephemera and clothes. An improvised hanging rack had broken and dumped a pile of clothing on the floor. Dust and cobwebs cover everything. Additionally, when a new roof was installed several years ago black roof-stuff sifted through cracks and fell everywhere in the attic. Thankfully there is no evidence of mice or other furry critters.


I'm thinking of doing a quick photographic tour of the attic to show the scope of what I'm trying to sort through. Clothing, furniture, books, toys, home decor... it's rather overwhelming. For now I've decided to focus on two old steamer trunks and chronicle what I find in them.

****************

I went upstairs and opened the trunks. Wow! When I started the attic exploration I vowed to only bring down a handful of things at a time. So much for that rule. If it were possible I would have dragged both trunks downstairs. They are filled with my mom's keepsakes.

I posted this picture previously. Now let's see what's inside trunk #1.

The top compartment lifts out.

The interior label.

VULCANIZED trunk fiber?

The July 15, 1953 issue of Life magazine featured the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The old scrapbook has only blank pages inside.

This three-piece outfit appears to be from the 1950's, was never worn and still has the original hang tags. At top left is a skirt, top right a shirt and below them is a pair of shorts.

Two vintage scarves.

Well, I guess I have a handkerchief collection.

Moving on to the bottom compartment.

This coat with fur trim was on top. I brought it downstairs for further investigation. An online search didn't turn up anything except more coats by the same brand, Rothmoor. This is from the 1940's or '50's.

Is this mink?

The same coat photographed in sunlight. The color is a greenish gray.

Cute label.

~~~

Pat Premo was a popular California casual-wear brand. The clothes have distinctive mid-century styling.   http://coutureallure.blogspot.com/ has pictures of similar playsuit-and-skirt combos by Pat Premo that date to the mid 1950's.

 

 The strapless playsuit has a back zipper and is styled like a swimsuit with sewn-in wiring for support.

Maybe no one will notice this needs a good ironing...
Oh look, everybody! A cat!

The matching skirt buttons up the front and has a similar pink gusset in the back. Um... am I the only one who thinks using the restroom would be a hassle?
                      

During a Naval cruise to South America in the 1950's my dad brought bought several skirts and matching purses in Guatemala. 

Two tiny dresses I wore in the late 1940's.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
According to their labels the blue dress was manufactured by Creative and the plaid by Wee Tog. http://vintagefashionguild.org/ is an excellent resource for information about clothing labels but neither brand was listed.

The trunk also contained boxes and envelopes full of old letters, newspaper clippings, and family ephemera.
 
I moved on to trunk #2 and decided to break this into two parts. Online research has been pleasantly surprising... some of its contents date back to the 1930's.

   

Interesting old photo

I've been going through two old steamer trunks in the attic, chronicling what I've found, taking pictures, doing online research. One of the trunks contains an unexpected cache of 1930's mementos. Yesterday I saw this picture for the first time and wish I knew the story behind it.

 My father is seated at the far end of the table with his hand raised.

 Where was this picture taken? Written on the back...

Should be "Caimanera".

Pepe's Club in Caimanera, Cuba! Sounds exotic and slightly dangerous.

Who are these men and what are they doing in Cuba? Naval officers, maybe?

I still have that! #2

  December 1958. 

This rabbit fur muff and a matching hat were Christmas gifts from an aunt and uncle. 

I still have that!

 Not-Patty, my '50's Patty Playpal clone, models the matching set.

The wrist cord ensured that I wouldn't misplace the muff. It was snuggly warm during the cold New England winter but expecting a child to keep both hands confined in a small space was impractical.

A hidden plastic headband held the hat in place but was too tight so I never wore it.

The heads of small dead animals add such a festive touch.

 

The box is from The Halle Bros. Co., a defunct Cleveland, Ohio department store. An Internet search turned up an odd fact: Halle Berry, who was born in Cleveland, was named for the store. This sounded ridiculous but looking at multiple websites confirmed that it's true. 

Space cadets

I'm so old... I remember when the moon was the only object that orbited the earth. The first man-made satellites were so amazing and unbelievable that newspapers would list flyover times. We'd stand outside and gawk in awe as a tiny pinpoint of light moved through the night sky.

Before actual space exploration there were wildly imaginative and ofter hilarious interpretations of what the future would hold. This bracelet is one of my favorite recent finds while sorting through mementos of my childhood.  

The small round frame once held a tiny compass.

At first I thought the charms depicted Buck Rogers and friends but something didn't seem quite right.
What was the name of that TV show in the '50's...?
Captain Midnight? No.
Ummmm. Something Corbett?
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet! Yes!

An online search turned up an identical bracelet that sold at auction. Incredibly, it was in pristine condition and was still attached to its original display card that confirmed this is indeed Tom Corbett merchandise.

~~~

My mom found this Marx Mystery Space Ship at a thrift store in the early 1960's. The colorful plastic flying saucer is about 8" wide.

     

 

This toy has an unusual feature. The ship houses a large gyroscope that's activated by turning a crank.
  

I still have a few tiny spacemen and a couple of small rockets. Somewhere.

*Right now there are several Mystery Space Ships available on eBay. Most are receiving bids and are surprisingly reasonable- less than $40.

~~~

In 1962 Telstar, a communication satellite launched by the US, inspired a popular instrumental song. Later that year another version, Magic Star, added lyrics that were really awful. I've been working on this on and off for a couple of weeks and those dumb lyrics have been playing in my mind. ARGH! STOP IT!

This is stored in a tote designed for 45's. Each record has a small number sticker like the "3" shown here that corresponds to its title's position on a master list.

While writing this I had a vague memory of a space book I hadn't seen for decades. On the top shelf of a bookcase, so high up I had to use a step ladder, I found not one but five books. The first four were a series sponsored by General Mills and published in 1957- 58. Willy Ley, the author, was a science writer and space advocate who was a scientific adviser for Tom Corbett, Space Cadet.

 

The fifth, published by Life Magazine in 1964, was written by futurist and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey.

These books contain fascinating predictions for the future based on information available at the time. Despite the fanciful illustrations they're surprisingly accurate.