Louis Vuitton ‘Lily Pons’ Shoe Secretaire Trunk

This exquisite trunk was the property of Eleanor Close-Barzin (nee Eleanor Post Hutton, Eleanor Hutton Rand), the American socialite, philanthropist and heiress to the General Foods Corporation fortune, who died in 2006. She was the daughter of Marjorie Merriweather Post, who during her life was often called America’s richest woman and who had very successfully expanded her father’s cereal business into the General Foods Corporation.

Bought new from Louis Vuitton in 1929, this wonderful large scale Louis Vuitton ‘Lily Pons’ shoe trunk has polished brass exterior fittings, leather handles and lozine trim. The original interior includes individual boxes for 30 pairs of shoes. This trunk has the original painted identification stripe and initials, ECR. This trunk has been restored by Louis Vuitton in Paris who replaced the worn out leather exterior carry handles with newly made examples to match the originals.

Gaston-Louis Vuitton recalled: ’Lily Pons ordered a desk for shoes in 1925. Her feet were so small and slender that it was possible to store up to thirty-six pairs of shoes in a trunk intended for thirty shoes.’

Lily Pons was a prima donna, opera and film star of the 1920’s and 30’s who was celebrated in magazines for her taste in matters of elegance. Her whole wardrobe and accessories were closely examined in women’s magazines of the day. She was said to have the tiniest feet in Paris. Vuitton named this design of trunk after her.

In the 1928 Louis Vuitton catalogue the following description can be found:-

‘Ingenious design, allowing the desired shoes to be immediately located, could be adapted to any number of drawers.’

Dimensions: 114cm/ 44⅞ inches (height) x 64cm/ 25⅛ inches (width) x 40cm/ 15¾ inches (depth).