| Carol Christian As the New Year is upon us, people are shifting into nostalgia mode, remembering the best and worst of the last year, and taking long strolls down that well-trod memory lane. Maybe that's what starting me thinking about the history of luggage. Or maybe it was watching a special on early European migrations, and thinking how if they only had Tumi luggage systems, and modern hydration systems, those trips might have been a lot less arduous.
I'm only half kidding on that last part. It did get me thinking about the evolution of travel luggage. Long ago (really, not even THAT long ago), folks didn't have the luxury of high-density ballistic nylon bags on light aluminum alloy frames, or injection molded polyproplyene hard cases, or even ergonimic straps and handles and high-performance wheels. They had hand-woven baskets, animal-hide bags, wooden boxes, or just yards of cloth gathered around a pile of belongings. And yet, they somehow managed to travel, migrate, and move around until practically every corner of the globe was covered.
With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, train tracks started criss-crossing the landscape, and ocean steamers made it possible for even average Joe's, who didn't have the good fortune of being commissioned by the Queen to go searching for fame and fortune on their big fat sailboats, to find their way across the Big Blue, thousands of miles away. Travel changed, and so did the need for a better system of luggage.
Steamer trunks became the name of the game in the late 18th century, and were carried wide and far by travelers well into the 20th century. They were sturdy chests, crafted usually of pine, and then covered with leather, or canvas, or some other protective and decorative material. They were big, too, usually measuring about 1.5 meters wide, and a half meter deep and high. Needless to say, these bad boys would cost a pretty penny to send through on today's weight-restriction-minded airlines, but they were perfect for the hard knocks ocean and train travel offered its freight.
Steamer trunks are still being made and have come a long way, but they're by no means the norm these days. The advent of plane travel really ushered in a new attitude towards personal luggage, along with the surge in the number of travelers who didn't have their own servants to schlep their stuff around for them. Lighter and easier to handle became the ideal, and has pretty much remained so to this day.
What amazes me is how we've continually found ways to better the previous generation of luggage. The bags and cases on the market today are stronger, better organized, easier to negotiate, and lighter than ever before, and will somehow, become even more so in five years! What's next I wonder? Anti-gravity devices that attach to your bag to make it completely weightless? How cool would that be! Or maybe when commercial space flights become a norm (and I have no doubt that they will - there's already a facility for them being built in New Mexico) that will usher in an altogether new set of goals in personal luggage perfection.
I don't know what's next for luggage, but I am seriously looking forward to the ride!
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Carol Christian (Pen Name: IRVS BAG LADY AT irvsluggage.com) |
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