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TRUNK
[Personal Gear]


Accession Number: 2004.66.3

Physical Description: Large wooden wardrobe trunk. The exterior of the trunk is painted black or covered with black material. Metal brackets at the corners and to the left and right of center along each edge. Paper stickers stuck randomly over the exterior of the trunk. The trunk stands vertically on one end. It has wheels on the bottom and a leather handle on the top. Two latches and a lock along one side; hinges along opposing side. The trunk opens into two equal halves. The left half contains a U-shaped metal rod that can be extended. Nine wooden hangers hang on the rod. The right half contains five drawers. The top drawer is shallow and is set deeper into the trunk. The remaining drawers are fairly deep. Each drawer has a metal-ring pull. Maker's label/plaque on top, lower left corner.

History of Object: The donor purchased the trunk at the Mulvane Art Auction in Topeka. It originally belonged to Bernard A. Gufler. Gufler held many foreign service positions, including Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1959 to 1961, and to Finland from 1961 to 1963. He was the Charge d'Affaires ad interim to Lithuania in 1940. After the Soviet Union overthrew the Lithuanian government, he went to work at the Embassy in Berlin from 1940 to 1941. Gufler was born in Lawrence and spent his early life in Topeka. He graduated from Topeka High in 1921, and attended the University of Kansas and Washburn University. His foreign service began in 1921 and continued until his retirement in 1966. He died while on a global tour in 1973.

Date: Between 1925 and 1935

Dimensions (in cm): 109.00 (H) 64.00 (W) 57.00 (D)

Marks/Inscriptions: [maker's plaque] THE FIELD / WARDROBE TRUNK / Marshall Field & Company / CHICAGO // [back of both halves] FROM / TRANSPORT. OFFICER / BERLIN - MIL. POST / APO - 742 US. ARMY / TO / BERNARD GUFLER / 2 KAISERSTRASSE / BAD GODESBERG / BONN // [stamp near handle] N.V. NEDERLANDSCHE SPOORWEGEN / Douanegoed / near Rotterdam CCS / TER VRIJMAKING / ? // [around lock] 158 / THE YALE & TOWNE MFG. CO. / STAMFORD. CONN. U.S.A. //

Index Terms

Associations and Subjects

    Origin, Place of: Chicago (Ill.)
    Origin, Place of: Stamford (Conn.)
    Theme/topic: Ambassadors
    Individual: Gufler, Bernard A., 1903-1973

Creators and Contributors

    The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company (lock)
    Marshall-Field & Company (trunk)

Status: Cataloged

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