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Cabin trunk

Image Cabin trunk

TLF ID R1768

This is a wooden cabin trunk, painted dark green. It has a hinged lid, two small internal drawers, two iron carrying handles, an original steel lock and key, and modern casters. Made around 1850, it was used soon after by an immigrant to New Zealand.

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Educational details

Educational value
  • This asset indicates the typical size (93 cm x 50 cm x 59.5 cm) of cabin trunk that many immigrants from Europe would have used to store their belongings on the voyage to New Zealand and Australia in the mid-1800s - space was limited on 19th-century transport vessels, and only first-class passengers received space in their cabins and in the ship's hold.
  • It indicates that luggage was constructed to withstand the sea voyage to New Zealand and Australia.
  • It is an example of an item that has been used beyond its original purpose and handed down to subsequent generations - the trunk has had modern casters added and there is an old paper label in one of the internal drawers with the inscription 'Key to Grandpa's Trunk'.
Topics Migration Furniture

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Organization: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Description: Content provider
  • URL: http://www.tepapa.govt.nz
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Copyright Holder
  • Name: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Organization: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Publisher
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organization: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Description: Publisher
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Colour independence
  • Device independence
  • Hearing independence
Learning Resource Type
  • Image
Rights
  • © Education Services Australia Ltd and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2013, except where indicated under Acknowledgements