Travel wardrobe trunk used by Cab Calloway
date: label: Date
content: after 1927
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Herkert and Meisel, American, founded 1888
label: Manufactured by
content: Yale, Swedish, founded 1840
label: Owned by
content: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
notes: label: Description
content: A Herkert & Meisel Professional H&M Trunk used by Cab Calloway. The upright standing trunk has a white painted exterior with iron and brass fittings. It is rectangular in shape with two level, elongated top and bottom faces. Standing upright, the narrow side at the top is curved. The trunk has metal latches and dowels on either side of the centered lock and lock receiver. The bindings have ferrous studded edges and metal corner brackets. The trunk opens lengthwise down the center and folds open on three hinges, revealing two sets of interior compartments: a set of six drawers on the right and a hanging space and a drawer on the left side. The curved top of the right side has a leather handle with ferrous fittings at the center and a small, black and red, diamond shaped, metal tag riveted to one corner. The tag has a red diamond at the center with a thin, black band around it. Printed silver text of varying sizes and fonts at the center reads [PROFESSIONAL / H&M / TRUNK]. Printed small silver text in the black band reads [HERKERT / & / MEISEL / TRUNK CO. ST. LOUIS]. The curved top of the left side has painted black text that reads [CAB CALLOWAY]. The hanging compartment on the left and the front of the drawers are lined with yellowed white, faux leather finished fabric. Both compartments have nickel plated fittings, locks, and drawer pulls. The interior of the right compartment is painted white. The right compartment has a set of six stacked drawers that can be locked at the top and are held in place by two, nickel, plated flat bars attached to the front of either side of the drawer compartment that fold in, locking the drawers in place. The left compartment features a rectangular space for hanging clothes. The cover pulls off entirely, revealing a hanging clothing compartment with a sliding hanger rack with ten wooden hangers, a red velvet lined top that folds opens on three hinges, and a wooden brace that attaches to brackets on either side of the hanging compartment. There is also a single drawer below the hanging compartment.
label: Description
content: Drawers 1-6 (right, top to bottom): Drawers 1-6 from a Herkert & Meisel Professional H&M Trunk used by Cab Calloway. The front panels of the six stacked drawers on the right are covered with yellowed white, faux leather finished fabric and have two, drop bail pull handles with a fleur-de-lis pattern and a nickel finish. Aech drawer has nickel plated edges along the top, left, and right sides of the drawers’ front panels and metal tabs at the center of the bottom edge. The top two drawers are narrower than the bottom four. All of the drawers are wooden and either partially or completely lined with off white muslin. Drawer 1 features four interior compartments with thin dividers. On the far left is a small compartment that holds a snugly fitted wooden box and a medium sized rectangular compartment behind it. The box compartment has a finger-sized hole at the center to push out the box. To the right are two, large, equal sized, rectangular compartments. At the center top of the front panel is a Yale lock. In the bottom left and right corners are two nickel plated square tabs that line up to the top of the trunk’s two flat bars that fold in and lock the drawers in place. Adhered to the bottom of the drawer is a white paper label with green decorative frame and green text that reads [Guarantee / We guarantee this trunk against defective materials or work- / manship for a period of five years from purchase date. / Duplicate parts will be sent free of charge to any address. / Locks are not covered by guarantee. / Date_____ Sold by__________ / H.&M. TRUNK CO. / 910 Washington Ave. / ST. LOUIS, MO.]. The jewelry box from Drawer 1 is a small wooden jewelry box constructed from medium brown, lacquered wood. The sides are held together with finger joints. The latch at the front, and two hinges at the back are gold colored metal. The top and bottom are lined with red velvet. The bottom of the box has broken off. Drawer 2 features four interior compartments with thin dividers. On the left is a large square compartment, and there are three smaller rectangular compartment on the right. The compartment in the back right corner has a metal support for a small, traveling iron. Along the top edge of the front panel are two square cutouts with the tabs from Drawer 1 fit and hold drawers 2-6 as part of the drawer’s locking mechanism. Drawer 3 features a single, deep interior compartment. The compartment has two sets of white, webbing ribbon straps on the left and right attached with small nails. Drawer 4 features a single, deep interior compartment. The compartment has one complete set and one incomplete set of white, webbing ribbon straps on the left and right attached with small nails. The back right webbing strap has torn off. Drawer 5 features a single, deep interior compartment. The compartment has two sets of white, webbing ribbon straps on the left and right attached with small nails. Drawer 6 features a two, deep compartments with a thin divider. On the left is a large rectangular compartment two nickel plated bracket on the left and right sides of the compartment. The compartment on the right is rectangular and narrow. Between the two drawer pulls on the front panel is a round metal button stopper at the center. There are indentations on either side of the button stopper that corresponds with the center of the drawer pull on Drawer 7.
label: Description
content: The wardrobe cover (left) is a thin, rectangular panel. Its edges are covered in nickel. It has a wooden frame with the back completely covered with a single sheet of faux leather fabric. At the front top center is a yale lock. Below is a faux leather fabric pull tab. On either side of the lock are round button stoppers that corresponds with the drawer pulls on either side of Drawer 1. On the back is an elastic cord stretched across the top
label: Description
content: The wooden brace (left) is constructed of from a single piece of medium brown, finished wood. The brace is a horizontal bar rounded at the top and bottom center and tapering to each end. The top and bottom edges are carved, beveled, and painted white. The ends of the brace are squared. Attached to the left end is a small metal hook that is inserted into the bracket mounted inside the hanging compartment on the left. Attached to the right side is a spring loaded bolt that clips into a bracket mounted inside the hanging compartment on the right. Stamped text on the bolt reads [PATENTED]. The brace can be inserted into the compartment brackets at various depths to hold the clothing in place. The back is plain.
label: Description
content: Hangers 1-10 (left): Ten wooden hangers from the hanging compartment on the left. The body of the hangers are constructed from plain, unfinished, light colored wood. At the top is a horizontal bar with a triangular shaped body below, carved from a single sheet of wood. Nine of the diagonal left and right sides of the triangular body are concave, and one (Hanger 6), is convex. At the center of the body is a triangular shape cut out which allows the user to hang clothes over the bottom bar. Attached to either end of the flat wooden bar at the top of the hanger are metal hooks that rest over the metal armature of the clothing rack inside the trunk. On the back of the hanger, at the top center, is a hanger hook that folds down when hanging inside the trunk.
label: Description
content: Drawer 7 (left) is wooden and features a single shallow compartment. The drawer’s interior is red velvet lined with an attached faux leather finished fabric flap, also lined with red velvet. The front panel of the drawer is covered with yellowed white, faux leather finished fabric and has a single drop bail pull handle with a fleur-de-lis pattern and a nickel finish at the center. There are nickel plated edges along the top, left, and right sides of the front panel. There is a metal tab at the bottom center.
label: Description
content: Trunk Contents:
label: Description
content: Drawer 1 Contents:
label: Description
content: Drawer 1, Section 1a
label: Description
content: 4. Piece of clear tape
label: Description
content: 5. “Miller High Life” bottle opener
label: Description
content: 6. Gray brush with wooden handle
label: Description
content: Drawer 1, Section 1b
label: Description
content: 2. Wooden box (broken lid) with velvet lining
label: Description
content: Drawer 1, Section 2
label: Description
content: 11. 1 long black sock
label: Description
content: 12. “Regal Pale” bottle opener
label: Description
content: 13. US Swiss Army knife
label: Description
content: 14. “Bee” playing card set
label: Description
content: 15. White string with 3 cream colored buttons
label: Description
content: 16. 1 black cuff link
label: Description
content: 17. Yellowed plastic piece
label: Description
content: 18. Sponge
label: Description
content: 19. “Swank” brown leather case with 10 various buttons
label: Description
content: 20. 3 signed postcards of Cab Calloway
label: Description
content: Drawer 1, Section 3
label: Description
content: 38. Blue silk scarf
label: Description
content: 39. Alka-Seltzer glass jar
label: Description
content: 40. “Brush & Shoehorn Set” cardboard box
label: Description
content: 41. “American Thread Co” spool of brown thread
label: Description
content: 42. Plastic Strip Band-Aid from “Johnson & Johnson”
label: Description
content: 43. 1 large safety pin
label: Description
content: 44. “V& R Wholesale Nursery” receipt
label: Description
content: 45. “New Farm Supper Club” business card
label: Description
content: 46. “Erika Von Tolksdorf” business card
label: Description
content: 47. Holiday Inn business card
label: Description
content: 48. “La Rene Electrical Co, Inc.” business card
label: Description
content: 49. Jerry Beck business card
label: Description
content: 50. Del M. Sawyer business card
label: Description
content: 51. Nuiessle Travel Service, Inc 1967 mini calendar
label: Description
content: 52. La Paella Restaurant business card
label: Description
content: 53. Zweifel Motors Inc. business card
label: Description
content: 54. Edward F. McGuire business card
label: Description
content: 55. John L. Loomis, M.D. business card
label: Description
content: 56. Monsieur Dray restaurant guest receipt
label: Description
content: 57. The Silver Pheasant Inn business card
label: Description
content: 58. Receipt, Metro Off-Rack
label: Description
content: 59. M. Fred Rosenblatt business card
label: Description
content: 60. Gaslight club, Inc. Business card
label: Description
content: 61. De Lisi A gentleman’s world business card
label: Description
content: 62. Swain’s & Errico’s “Odd Couple” business card
label: Description
content: 63. Antillian Tourist Attractions N.V. business card
label: Description
content: 64. Robert B. Blackwell business card
label: Description
content: 65. Lino Castelli business card
label: Description
content: 66. Merrill Racing Stable business card
label: Description
content: 67. James G. Guthro business card
label: Description
content: 68. Sal A. Cammaleri business card
label: Description
content: 69. Joseph F. Cascarella business card
label: Description
content: 70. Lt. John D. Chamberlin business card
label: Description
content: 71. Ed Shrum business card
label: Description
content: 72. Detroit Free Press business card
label: Description
content: 73. Judge Orest V. Maresca business card
label: Description
content: 74. Vince DeGregory Jr. business card
label: Description
content: Drawer 2 Contents:
label: Description
content: Drawer 2, Section 1
label: Description
content: 20. Gray socks (1 pair)
label: Description
content: 21. Blue socks (1 pair)
label: Description
content: 22. Black socks (1 pair)
label: Description
content: 23. Brown socks (1 pair)
label: Description
content: 24. Clean white handkerchief
label: Description
content: 25. Black/brown socks (1 pair)
label: Description
content: 26. Black socks (1 pair)
label: Description
content: 27. White bowtie
label: Description
content: 28. Black collar
label: Description
content: 29. Black bowtie
label: Description
content: 30. Pink, floral pin cushion
label: Description
content: 31.Ziploc bag containing:
label: Description
content: a. Gray bowtie
label: Description
content: b. White bowtie
label: Description
content: c. 2 black bowties
label: Description
content: 32. “Johnson & Johnson” Band-Aid (Qty: 11)
label: Description
content: 33. Pencils, various (Qty: 5)
label: Description
content: 34. “Hyro Parking” ticket
label: Description
content: 35. Dry cleaning paper tab
label: Description
content: 36. Bottle openers; 2 same, 1 different (Qty: 3)
label: Description
content: 37. 1 Pin with green head
label: Description
content: 38. Melody Music Cooperation business card
label: Description
content: Drawer 2, Section 2
label: Description
content: 5. “Turf Customs Cleaners” swatch
label: Description
content: 6. Black brush with broken handle (Detached)
label: Description
content: 7. “Bankers Trust” sewing kit
label: Description
content: 8. “Pabst Blue Ribbon” bottle opener
label: Description
content: Drawer 2, Section 3
label: Description
content: 2. Pack of “Mystik tape”
label: Description
content: *metal frame (component) embedded at the bottom of the drawer
label: Description
content: Drawer 2 , Section 4
label: Description
content: 3. Black socks (2 pairs)
label: Description
content: 4. Piece of clear wrapping
label: Description
content: Drawer 3 Contents:
label: Description
content: 1. Clear bag containing 1 orange washcloth
label: Description
content: 2. 1 orange wash cloth
label: Description
content: 3. Black sock (1 pair)
label: Description
content: 4. “Helen Neuschaefer” bar of wrapped soap
label: Description
content: 5. 1 Johnson & Johnson band aid
label: Description
content: 6. 1 gray cummerbund
label: Description
content: 7. 1 white cummerbund
label: Description
content: Drawer 4 Contents:
label: Description
content: 1. Pink floral pin cushion
label: Description
content: 2. Red paper tag
label: Description
content: Drawer 5 Contents:
label: Description
content: 1. Pink floral pin cushions (Qty: 2)
label: Description
content: 2. 1 clear plastic bag
label: Description
content: 3. 1 clear plastic bag containing 1 green bar of soap
label: Description
content: 4. 1 pink handkerchief
label: Description
content: 5. 1 bundle/pack of pencils (qty: 12)
label: Description
content: 6. 1 Pabst blue ribbon award “Courier All American Band”
label: Description
content: Left Hanging Compartment contents include:
label: Description
content: 1. Black suit
label: Description
content: 2. Gray suit
label: Description
content: 3. Wooden hangers (Qty: 7)
label: Description
content: 4. Ties, various (Qty: 7)
place: label: Place made
content: Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, North and Central America
label: Place used
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Band (Music)
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Conductors (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Costume
label: Topic
content: Entertainers
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Travel
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: The Cabell “Cab” Calloway III Collection
label: Classification
content: Accessories and Personal Effects
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: A2015.273.1.1
objectType: label: Type
content: trunks (containers)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No known copyright restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: wood, lead-based paint, iron alloy, copper and copper alloy, nickel and nickel alloy, velvet, muslin, textile materials, lacquer, elastic and leather
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Overall - closed and laying flat): 28 9/16 × 43 1/2 × 23 5/8 in. (72.5 × 110.5 × 60 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Drawer 1 right): 4 3/4 × 22 1/16 × 12 3/8 in. (12 × 56 × 31.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Box from Drawer 1 right): 2 3/16 × 4 5/16 × 3 11/16 in. (5.5 × 11 × 9.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Drawer 2 right): 4 13/16 × 22 1/16 × 12 3/8 in. (12.2 × 56 × 31.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Drawer 3 right): 7 13/16 × 22 × 12 7/16 in. (19.8 × 55.9 × 31.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Drawer 4 right): 7 13/16 × 22 1/16 × 12 3/8 in. (19.9 × 56 × 31.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Drawer 5 right): 7 13/16 × 22 1/16 × 12 1/2 in. (19.8 × 56 × 31.7 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Drawer 6 right): 8 1/16 × 22 1/16 × 12 3/8 in. (20.4 × 56 × 31.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Wardrobe brace): 4 15/16 × 21 5/8 × 1 in. (12.5 × 55 × 2.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Wardobe cover): 35 1/16 × 21 7/8 × 7/8 in. (89.1 × 55.5 × 2.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 1 - hook extended): 9 5/8 × 19 5/16 × 1/2 in. (24.5 × 49 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 1 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 19 5/16 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 49 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 2): 9 5/16 × 19 5/16 × 1/2 in. (23.7 × 49 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 2 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 19 5/16 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 49 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 3): 9 11/16 × 19 1/8 × 1/2 in. (24.6 × 48.5 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 3 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 19 1/8 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 48.5 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 4): 9 9/16 × 19 1/8 × 1/2 in. (24.3 × 48.6 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 4 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 19 1/8 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 48.6 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 5): 9 7/16 × 19 5/16 × 1/2 in. (24 × 49 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 5 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 19 5/16 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 49 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 6): 10 1/4 × 18 7/8 × 1/2 in. (26 × 47.9 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 6 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 18 7/8 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 47.9 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 7): 9 9/16 × 19 1/8 × 1/2 in. (24.3 × 48.6 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 7 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 19 1/8 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 48.6 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 8): 9 3/4 × 19 1/8 × 1/2 in. (24.8 × 48.5 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 8 - hook down): 7 13/16 × 19 1/8 × 1/2 in. (19.8 × 48.5 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 9): 9 5/8 × 19 5/16 × 1/2 in. (24.5 × 49 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 9 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 19 5/16 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 49 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 10): 9 5/8 × 19 3/16 × 1/2 in. (24.5 × 48.7 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Hanger 10 - hook down): 7 11/16 × 19 3/16 × 1/2 in. (19.5 × 48.7 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Drawer 7 left): 5 1/8 × 22 1/16 × 14 3/8 in. (13 × 56 × 36.5 cm)