Large steamer trunk by Goyard in their signature 'Goyardine' chevron pattern canvas covering with polished brass lock, catches & handles; circa 1910.
All of the leather trim on the trunk, except the front and one of the sides of the band that runs around the edge of the lid, has been replaced by our restorer in an exact copy of the original trim. We have relined the interior of the lid in a fashion that replicates the original lining and kept the original interior trays.
Our research into this trunk revealed the name Charles Carroll Glover, a prominent American banker and philanthropist that played a huge part in creating the modern landscape of Washington D.C. While we cannot be certain, we believe this trunk could have been part of Charles or his family's collection.
As president of Riggs Bank Glover generously donated land and money to the city's development, contributing heavily to parks and monuments including the National Cathedral, National Zoo and Rock Creek Park.
James M. Goode, a historian of Washington, D.C., wrote of him: "Few if any native Washingtonians have left a more positive and lasting contribution to the city than Charles C. Glover Sr., who gave of his wealth (before the days of income-tax deductions for philanthropy) to the future public good."
Dimensions: 110 cm/43¼ inches (length) x 56 cm/22 inches (depth) x 56.5 cm/22¼ inches (height).
About Goyard
In 1792, Pierre-François Martin founded a company called Maison Martin, specializing in box-making, trunk-making, and packing. This happened long before the golden age of trunk-makers, which arrived in the late 19th century.
Maison Martin quickly became a favorite with the French aristocracy and was eventually granted the prestigious title of ‘Official Purveyor’ to French and Italian royalty, including Marie-Caroline of Bourbon-Siciles, Duchesse de Berry.
Maison Martin moved its store from 4, Rue Neuve des Capucines to 347, Rue Saint-Honoré, in 1834. In a surprising coincidence, Louis Vuitton went on to open his store at 4, Rue Neuve des Capucines just twenty years later. Martin was the guardian of a young female ward, Pauline Moutat, and arranged her marriage to one of his employees, Louis-Henri Morel, in 1841. He gave Morel his business as her dowry.
Four years later, Morel employed Edmé Goyard (1801–1879) and his son François (1828–1890), who had traveled to Paris from their native Bourgogne. This marks the moment that the name Goyard is introduced to the story.
Morel died suddenly in 1852, and François purchased the business in 1853. The name he eventually chose for his company was Goyard Aîné (French for "elder," François being the firstborn among the Goyard brothers), to differentiate himself from his siblings.
François handed the company over to his eldest son Edmond Goyard (1860–1937) in 1888, and the name changed again to E. Goyard Aîné, both in recognition of himself and his grandfather, Edmé, who had died six years earlier. Edmond turned the store on Rue Saint-Honoré into an elite luxury showroom with an international clientele. He even introduced a “Chic du Chien” range, providing bowls, harnesses, boots, and even protective automobile glasses for cats, dogs, and monkeys.
In 1892, Edmond took the Y in his surname and turned it into a chevron design, hand-painted in a series of dots on Goyard canvas. This was the first appearance of the iconic ‘Goyardine’ pattern in a hand-painted format. The piled-up dot pattern hints at the log-driving heritage of the Goyard family.
Stores soon opened in Monte Carlo and Biarritz, with further concessions in the U.S., England, Belgium, Spain, and Russia. John Wanamaker became Goyard’s exclusive agent in the U.S. in 1899.
In the early 1900s, Edmond won medals at the Exposition Universelle et Internationale of Paris, Milan’s L’Esposizione Internazionale del Sempione, and the Franco-British Exposition in London. The Goyard name went from strength to strength in high society, and Edmond’s son, Robert, assumed the role of Goyard’s manager in 1923, with Edmond continuing as the creative director.
Robert entered into a cooperative agreement with the grand Maisons in the Place Vendôme, including Boucheron, Cartier, Charvet, Chaumet, Guerlain, Morgan, and the Ritz, in 1936, cementing the Maison's place in the Parisian luxury landscape. The cooperative's offices were located in Goyard’s headquarters at 233, Rue Saint-Honoré.
In 1998, long-time Goyard collector Jean-Michel Signoles bought the Maison. Without the backing of a leading group the Signoles family revived Goyard’s heritage and opened new boutiques in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Within a decade, Goyard was re-established as a beacon of elegance, craftsmanship, and exclusivity. Newly opened workshops in Carcassonnes demonstrated the label’s commitment to the next generation of craftsmanship.
