Historical information

This is a suitcase known as a Gladstone bag. It is named after William Gladstone (1809-1898), a four-time Prime Minister of England. Gladstone bags were first produced by Edward Cole in London in 1854. This item has no particular local provenance but bags such as this one were commonly used, mainly by men, for business and sporting purposes. As it was compact and stored quite a lot of material in its deep interior, it was a popular choice for men travelling by public transport to the workplace or to sporting events.

Significance

This Gladstone bag is retained for display purposes as an example of a mid 20th century suitcase.

Physical description

This is a small suitcase, called a Gladstone bag, made of stiffened brown leather built over a rigid metal frame. It has a leather handle on top of the metal frame and a metal lock on the side of the frame. There are metal clips to enclose the ends of the frame. There are metal straps attached to the sides of the case. Inside, the bag is lined with light brown cloth and there are two pockets on one side. The metal parts are somewhat rusted.