Antiques & Vintage

Item Description

Antique steamer trunk by Henry Likly Trunk Company of Rochester, NY from circa 1900. Measures 39 inches width x 25.5 inches height x 21.5 inches depth. Includes original interior compartments and original blue brocade lining. Working lock and key is included. Missing leather handles on the side of the trunk. Retains original leather snaps on the interior. In fair vintage condition for a piece that is over 100 years old, had numerous scuffs, marks and small tears in the interior lining. The Henry Likly Trunk Company was established in 1844 as A.R. & T.H. Pritchard. Upon graduating from school Henry Likly took an apprenticeship with A.R & T.H.Pritchard and mastered his trade in the trunk manufacturing industry.In January of 1868 Mr. Likly was given a partnership in the company. The company then became A.R. & T.H. Pritchard & Company, three years later it became A.R. Pritchard & Likly.When Henry Likly and his brother in-law became the sole proprietors of the business the name was changed to Henry Likly & Company. This was the name from 1870 when A.R. Pritchard retired until 1925 when it simply became "Likly's".I couldn't find much more information after that or why the name was changed to just Likly's. As far as I can tell the company was ran by his children after his death in 1897. In New York State the Henry Likly trunk company was the largest factory of its time. Located at 340 Lyell Ave in Rochester N.Y. the factory covered two acres of land, the building was 4 stories tall and utilized 60,000 square feet of space. During this period it was one of the best equipped manufacturing plants in the United States. The first floor was where the lumber was sawed and prepared, the second floor was the woodworking and box shop where the frames were made, the third floor was designated for trimming and finishing, and the top floor was probably reserved for the executives, sales and accounting. There products were shipped all over the U.S. and even to parts of Europe. For the local residents the Likly company also maintained a retail outlet at 96 State St in Rochester N.Y. At its peak the company used over one million feet of lumber annually and turned out over 30,000 trunks yearly. The company produced all kinds of trunks mostly for traveling and packing but they also specialized in theatrical trunks and really fine high end trunks. This guy was the Louis Vuitton of Rochester.

Item Special Note

This item is merchandise. For bidders located in New York State, an 8% sales tax will be applied to the winning bid amount. This item can be picked up at WXXI on the publicized open pick-updates or by appointment. All merchandise items must be picked up by July 31, 2017. Due to its size and/or weight, shipping is not available for this item.