LOUIS VUITTON OLD TRUNK

1821  August 4 birth of Louis Vuitton in Anchay in a family of peasants and millers from Jura.

1835  At 14 Louis Vuitton decides to come to Paris, it will take him two years to cover the 400 kilometers on foot.

1837  Louis Vuitton becomes an apprentice with Monsieur Maréchal, a layetier and packager, who teaches him the design and manufacture of chests and travel trunks. He will subsequently become first clerk.

Louis Vuitton (1821 - 1892)  The founder of the Maison.

After his apprenticeship as a “layetier-packeur-briefetier”, he was noticed for his talents and became the exclusive packer of the Empress Eugenie - the starting point of the Maison Louis Vuitton Malletier created in 1854. 

In  1854 Louis Vuitton founded the company 

Opening of its very first store on rue neuve-des-capucines in Paris.

Louis created the gray Trianon canvas  . Lighter, less expensive and totally waterproof, it replaces leather which was moldy and cracked. 

1857  Birth of Georges Vuitton son of Louis Vuitton and Clémence Amélie Parriaux.

1858  Louis invents the flat trunk: Mail trunk and Cabin trunk , He radically revises the design of travel trunks by renouncing the traditional domed cover in favor of a flat top to facilitate loading at the back of horse carriages.

1859  Opening of the asnières workshops 

1868 Louis created the malle Lit

1868 Louis created the zinc trunk , completely waterproof, this explorer trunk was designed for overseas trips, in Africa and in India. This trunk is designed to keep clothing out of moisture, heat and dust, and to keep travelers presentable even in hostile environments.

1871  : inauguration of the rue du scribe boutique in Paris.

Georges Vuitton (1857 - 1936) Son and successor of Louis Vuitton

Georges increases the reputation of the house through communication actions and regular participation in world exhibitions. 

Georges Vuitton creates the lock , the Damier canvas and the Monogram that will make the trunks legendary

1871  Georges son of Louis, studies in Jersey for 2 years to learn English.

1872  Louis strikes back and replaces the Trianon canvas with a striped canvas. 

1873  Georges begins an apprenticeship in Asniére.

1875 Louis created the wardrobe trunk from the wardrobe.

1878  Louis entrusts the management of the store on rue Scribe to Georges.

1883  Birth of Gaston Vuitton son of Georges Vuitton and Joséphine Patrelle, daughter of the inventor of the Arôme Patrelle.

1885  Georges to counter the English on travel objects, and aspiring to international influence, opens his first store in London at 289 Oxford Street.

1888  Georges tries to put an end to the copy of the striped canvas, and draws a new checkered pattern "Louis Vuitton, registered trademark" The luggage of the house thus becomes the first manufactured objects which present the mark on the outside.

1880  move of the store from Oxford street to 454 Strand London

1889  Georges invents the mythical lock with tumblers , inviolable, the key of which can open the same series of trunks.

1892  creation of an aluminum explorer trunk 

1892  Death of Louis VUITTON at the age of 71.

1896  Imitations of the Vuitton Trianon, Striped Canvas and Checkered Canvas continued.

Georges tries to respond to the copy by producing a complex motif. The Monogram canvas was born.

Gaston Vuitton (1883 - 1970)  The third generation  

Gaston took over the management of Louis Vuitton Malletier in 1936. He participated in the design of new models. From the end of the 19th century and as a collector, he brought together a personal museum of old trunks, some of which are still present in the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (donation Louis Vuitton, 1986). In 1959, he designed a new coated canvas , which was lighter and more easily transportable.

1897  Gaston begins an apprenticeship in Asniére.

1899  Gaston joined the rue Scribe sales team.

1901  : Creation of the steamer bag.

1910 Flower trunk , for privileged clients.

1910  Robert Wilson the Target Man  Around the World with his Louis Vuitton trunk.

1911  trunk  Albert Kahn  - fight for universal peace. Albert Kahn, a wealthy banker known to be a great patron of the arts, and built up an immense photographic collection.

1914 inauguration of the 70 avenue des Champs Élysées store, a legendary luxury boutique.

1929  Georges creates the  office trunk for Leopold Stokowski , the great British conductor. He ordered a trunk that has become a legend.

1930 Creation of the Keepall bag , the most legendary of all Louis Vuitton travel bags.

Creation of the iconic Speedy bag

1932  : Creation of the Noé bag created with the organ to contain hot bottles of champagne.

“It's a whole era that is expressed through this baggage, where we understand that traveling was also an elegant experience. The Noé bag was invented in 1932 by Gaston-Louis, at the request of a Champagne producer, to hold five bottles. Carrying your tea or champagne service with you is a bit like making your living room travel, carrying an art of living that suddenly becomes mobile. The Noah also announces what can be a city bag. It has since become a classic of the House, which comes in pop colors for a joyful and urban durability. "

1932 Creation of the mythical puzzle " Patéki " by Gaston.

1935 Creation of: His Louis Vuitton toy salon  following a family drama. 

1936  Death of Georges Vuitton at the age of 79.

1959  Creation of the modern PVC flexible monogram canvas . Opening a new horizon: the handbag and flexible object.

1970  Death of Gaston Vuitton at the age of 87.

1973 Patrick Vuitton  begins an apprenticeship at Asniére.

1977 , the family business is managed by Odile Vuitton, daughter of Gaston-Louis, and by her husband.

1985  Launch of the Epi line (long grain leather)

Since 1987 , Louis Vuitton has been part of the French conglomerate LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, the world's leading luxury group headed by Bernard Arnault.

1996 - Reissue in an exceptional collection of checkered PVC canvas

2000 - Collaboration between Louis Vuitton and BMW for their new city scooter the C1. 3 unique models designed by the Maison de Luxe Française 

2003  - New Louis Vuitton packaging,  chocolate brown and beige.

2010 -  revival of the traditional flower trunk in the form of a mini VIP gift box, paperweight or jewelry box.

2011 - London fashion designer Kim Jones is appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear. We owe him the 2017 collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Suprême , which blew up the internet and Instagram.

He left Louis Vuitton in 2018 to join Dior Homme . (Group belonging to Bernard Arnault)

2014 -  Fall-winter collection, Nicolas Ghesquière inaugurates his first fashion show for the women's collection and presents the Louis Vuitton Small Malle Bag 

2016 - The iconic  chocolate brown of Louis Vuitton packaging gives way to saffron yellow . Introduced in December, the new color is reminiscent of the color of the interior vuittonite wardrobes that have made the success of the house.

2018  - Virgil Abloh takes on the role of  Louis Vuitton Men's Artistic Director.  The appointment by  Michael Burke  (director of Louis Vuitton) of this American, like Marc Jacobs, is above all there to avoid the "gentrification" of the brand, in order to capture a younger clientele. These collaborations are numerous: Off-White (its own brand bought by LVMH), Nike, Nigo...  

He died in 2021 from cancer.

2019 - Traveling exhibition  The gallery: Capsule 

2022 - LV DREAM exhibition : Celebration of 160 years of creative exchanges that have constantly fueled the torch of innovation at Louis Vuitton. This immersive experience warmly invites its visitors on a captivating journey, plunging them into the heart of the House's emblematic and current artistic collaborations. From December 15, 2022 to November 15, 2023. 

2023  - Artist Pharrell Williams has been chosen to succeed Virgil Abloh (1980-2021) as creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear.

2023 - In parallel with the "LV Dream" exhibition, a brand new exhibition entitled " Malle Courrier ". This event will take place in the historic residence of Asnières-sur-Seine (92) from May 23, 2023 to February 17, 2024. 

Louis Vuitton fabrics ( Mark )

Louis Vuitton has never ceased to develop its fabrics.  

The first were united, then with checkerboard, and the famous LV canvas better known today under the name of "Monogram", these fabrics have survived the ages. 

The first were woven , then printed with a stencil , then printed with screen printing to become today's monogram PVC canvas .

Depending on the technique and the materials used and the time, the canvas presents variations in textures and colors, which collectors and professionals call "Mark" brands   we stain referenced.

Louis Vuitton store 1854 - 1978 

Ideal for dating a trunk that has an  interior label, the address of the shops gives an indication of the age of a piece of luggage. 6 tips for dating your trunk

4 rue neuve des capucines Paris 

Workshops in Asnières  

Paris - 70 Champs-Élysées 

Paris - 1 rue scribe Paris 

London 289 Oxford Street  

London at 454 Strad Street  

London at 149 New Bond Street

Cannes - 10 rue des belges 

Nice- 4 Albert 1er garden  

Lille - 34 rue Faidherbe 

Cannes - 10 rue des belges 

Nice at 12 avenue de Verdun   

Vichy - 1 rue du parc 

78 bis av Marceau  

Japan

Unpickable lock:

Article dedicated to old trunk locks, Louis Vuitton. We try to reference the main ones. There are dozens of different lock models we present to you the most common.

New price: 

Discover all the prices of the French luxury house. 

Analysis of the evolution of the range over the last thirty years. You will be surprised at the result. price of new Louis VUITTON.

Expertise, what is the value of an old trunk: 

We receive many emails from people wanting to know the value of their Louis Vuitton, Goyard or Moynat trunk. 

It is common to confuse expertise and estimation. Revelations on an abuse of language. Comparison of the different models and value of an old trunk

The journey  - From the earliest times to the present day.  

Year  :  1901

In French 

Illustrated with forty woodcuts 

Preface by Émile Gautier 

Paris  

Pairault & cie, printers and editors 

3 passage nollet 3 

First edition, 294 pages (uncut) 

Dimension: 165 mm x 255 mm 

Exciting and rare work written by Georges, son of Louis Vuitton. 

Book cover: Signed Charles Henri Pille (1844-1897). This illustration denotes the public enthusiasm at the end of the 19th century for the Middle Ages. On the sign we can read "Lors Vuitton, Huchier", a term from the Latin of the 12th century and desiring the manufacturers of trunks..

125 years of Louis Vuitton -  The era seen by JHLartigue

Edition: Louis Vuitton Company 

Year: 1980 

Language: French or English 

Book in two volumes (salmon / beige) in box. 

Cardboard box covered with a brown canvas. 
Historical chronology illustrated. Many photographs by JH Lartigue EOHC Bookseeler inventory

Advertising brochure published on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Louis Vuitton and which was graciously offered to its loyal customers.

The trunk of memories  

Editions Mengès  

year: 1984 

The French language 

Limited to 4000 copies 

Number of pages: 158 

This book was written by Henry Vuitton, grandson of Louis Vuitton

The soul of travel

Editor: Louis Vuitton Malletier  

Year: 1991 

Language: French and English 

Leaflets in cardboard folder and under casing. Many color photographs

Number of pages: 81 

Limited edition has only 3000 numbered copies. 

Louis Vuitton a wise Frenchwoman 

Edition: Fayard   

Year: 2004 

It was in 1821, in a hamlet in the Jura, that a young miller gave birth to Louis Vuitton. At fourteen, a few francs in his pocket, the teenager decides to go to Paris. Two years of traveling on foot, two years of a rough existence. The bundle on his shoulder, the young Louis is heading towards his extraordinary destiny. Thirty years later, the apprentice founded his business of trunks and fashion packaging. Impeachment of Louis-Philippe, war against Prussia, flight of Napoleon III, Commune or birth of the Republic, no event distracted him from the goal he set for himself: to succeed. And it is in the stations, by observing the travelers, that he imagines the tricks able to simplify their life. He wreaked havoc by inventing the flat trunk! With the epic of the rail, the rise of the steam navy, the colonial expansion,with Thomas Cook and his group trips, Pullmann and his comfortable wagons, Worth and his fashion of clothing adapted to the pleasure trip, Boucicaut and his new sales methods, with the Universal Exhibitions in the glory of progress - Louis Vuitton participates in the advent of modern tourism and becomes a powerful trader. In his workshops in Asnières, bed trunks, picnic trunks, shoe trunks, parasols, hats and wardrobes were produced, which aroused the enthusiasm of a wealthy clientele. The salons of the Empress Eugenie, of which he was the particular packer, in the prestigious stores of London, Nice, Paris or Vichy, Louis Vuitton created his own legend, a myth that his sons and grandsons, Georges and Gaston, would in turn grow. But a legend does not only line up rich hours and successes. Counterfeits,export costs and economic crises are all hazards that weaken the luxury industry. And under the German occupation, the fear of decline led to new markets… After the war, the Vuitton legend was rebuilt around three words: luxury, functionality, innovation. A motto that still holds true today, when the house passed into other hands and took off again. Stéphanie Bonvicini's meticulous work as a historian, elegantly nourished with references to travel literature, the arts and customs of the time, traces the itinerary of a family and an exceptional brand, which today celebrates its 150th anniversary.the Vuitton legend is rebuilt around three words: luxury, functionality, innovation. A motto that still holds true today, when the house passed into other hands and took off again. Stéphanie Bonvicini's meticulous work as a historian, elegantly nourished with references to travel literature, the arts and customs of the time, traces the itinerary of a family and an exceptional brand, which today celebrates its 150th anniversary.the Vuitton legend is rebuilt around three words: luxury, functionality, innovation. A motto that still holds true today, when the house passed into other hands and took off again. Stéphanie Bonvicini's meticulous work as a historian, elegantly nourished with references to travel literature, the arts and customs of the time, traces the itinerary of a family and an exceptional brand, which today celebrates its 150th anniversary.retraces the journey of an exceptional family and brand, which today celebrates its 150th anniversary.retraces the journey of an exceptional family and brand, which today celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Number of pages: 364

Louis Vuitton - The birth of modern luxury  

Editions de la Martinière 

Year: 2005 

Language: Available in all languages including French. 

Number of pages: 540 

This edition tells the story of the Maison, from its creation in 1854 to the present day. Book-sum, true reference content, it offers a unique light on the evolutions and inventions of the brand which made travel a way of life.

Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture  

Louis Vuitton has always cultivated close links with art, architecture, design and photography. This book explores 80 collaborations, with Takashi Murakami and Stephen Sprouse among others.  

Book that does not deal with old or modern trunks.

100 Louis Vuitton legends trunks

Probably the most comprehensive book there is. A treat for lovers of exceptional trunk.  

This exceptional work, prefaced by Patrick-Louis Vuitton, brings together the most beautiful creations of the House. Bed trunk, wardrobe trunk, Tea-Case, toiletries, circus trunk, library trunk or caviar box: so many incredible pieces behind which can be seen the fascinating adventures of their owners. The book also reveals all the manufacturing secrets of a Louis Vuitton trunk and reveals that the spirit of the House is always driven by the same desire: to perpetuate the excellence of a know-how and to make the art of travel a real art of living.

La malle -  Collection of short stories

Louis Vuitton and Editions Gallimard publish La Malle, a collection of collective short stories. As a passionate collector, Gaston-Louis Vuitton, grandson of the founder, built up fabulous archives made up of press articles and various facts on the object of his obsession: the trunk. Forty years later, eleven French writers have had access to it and bring back to life stories of theft, espionage, princesses, lost or bloody trunks ... Here are eleven short stories by Éliette Abécassis, Fabienne Berthaud, Marie Darrieussecq, Virginie Despentes, Nicolas d'Estienne d'Orves, Patrick Eudeline, David Foenkinos, Philippe Jaenada, Yann Moix, Véronique Ovaldé and Bruno de Stabenrath. Mail trunk on the cover

Louis Vuitton city bags: A natural history 

Louis Vuitton presents the very first taxonomy of its most emblematic city bags made since the beginning of the last century. This precious edition lists the Maison's creations in the style of the great natural history books. Speedy, Papillon, Alma, Lockit, Bucket, Neverfull, Sac Plat, Pochette, each great line is presented, from the most ancestral to the most recent mutations. Thus, by a documented and richly illustrated lighting, this book takes the party of a new reading of the Louis Vuitton city bag.

Sail Voller Voyager

Created under the direction of Olivier Saillard, organizer of the “Volez Voguez Voyagez - Louis Vuitton” exhibition, this work takes up the structure of the exhibition presented at the Grand Palais in Paris from December 4 to February 2, 2016. In addition, it is enriched with new content:  

100 exclusive images from photographer Katerina Jebb, known for her unique take on fashion items.  

Fictions and critical essays on Louis Vuitton, written by 20 of the most prestigious critics and authors of fiction from around the world.  

An illustrated catalog of the exhibition (the objects are grouped together, with captions and images). 

This luxury edition has been crafted from fine materials, using sophisticated techniques, making it one of the finest exhibition catalogs ever to be produced.

• 2019 - La gallerie : Capsule 

• 2016 - La Galerie : LV 

• 2015 - Grand palais : Volez Voguez Voyagez 

• 2012 - Arts décoratif : Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs

• 2011 - Carnavalet : Voyage en capitale