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Museum object · Slavery and Freedom Objects

Traveling trunk used by George Thompson Garrison in the Civil War

ca. 1860

New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

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Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A traveling trunk owned by George Thompson Garrison while serving as an officer with the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The wood, leather bound trunk is embossed throughout with four rows of brass rivets along the front, top and back of the base and lid. The leather is also stitched along the edges and lip of the trunk. Two metal buckles attached to leather straps are on the left and right sides of the front. A leather strap is attached to the top left of the trunk but the top right strap is removed. The removed strap is broken into nine pieces and includes a meral buckle. The leather is a different color where the original strap was located. A hinged lock plate is on the front of the base with the locking mechanism directly above it on the lid.

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2010.24a-d

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