Hey, Trunk Enthusiasts!
If you’re the proud owner of a C&N Footlocker from Everything Summer Camp, then your camp trunk isn’t any older than 27 years. In the big scheme of things that’s not very old at 
all, is it? But what about trunks in general—how long have people used trunks? The quick answer is around the medieval times.
But let’s delve into the subject a bit deeper than that, huh? Trunks weren’t made in America until the late 1600s. What was America like back then? Well, for starters, there were no phones, bathrooms, cars, supermarkets—HECK!—there wasn’t even running water or electricity! They were extremely different times than what we know today.
Back then, there was no Corelle company that sold fine dinnerware, nor was there an Everything Summer Camp where you could find quality-made camp trunks. The desire for such products, however, grew and grew during this time. Services like iron and coal mining, brick-making, glass-making, and, yes, even trunk-making became common means of trade and commerce.
Early trunks were made out of wood and covered with cowhide or some other animal skin. They were typically lined with old newspapers or some other printed paper.
But there certainly weren’t any summer camps around back then. So what did people use trunks for? Well, just as they’re used today, back then people used them for long periods away from home as well as decorative storage pieces. It didn’t take long for people to start experimenting with the way their trunks looked.
The late 1700s and early 1800s brought a richer and more ornamented style to trunks with iron locks and handles, leather trim, and brass tacks. A round top became a popular look around this time as well. But other styles came along too such as bevel-tops, barrel-tops, dome-tops, steamers, barrel-staves, wardrobes, dresser trunks, wall trunks, and more.
As trunk styles have changed all throughout history, Everything Summer Camp continues the tradition by keeping an experimental attitude toward the appearance of the trunks that we manufacture.
- John