Carson McCullers. Carson McCullers' Personal Travel Trunk. [ca. 1940's - 1950's]. Used when she travelled abroad, with ste...

Description

Carson McCullers. Carson McCullers' Personal Travel Trunk. [N.p., n.d., ca. 1940's - 1950's]. This was the trunk McCullers used when she travelled abroad, with various steam ship stickers and customs forms affixed to its surface.

Approximately 30.5 x 16 x 11 inches. Her name, "Mrs. Carson McCullers" is still on one of the surviving customs forms. Black wooden trunk with riveted black metal edges. With "McCullers" written on five out of six surfaces of the trunk. Hinged lid of trunk with stickers and custom forms, most of which are damaged. Interior of trunk lined with blue and white floral paper. With two leather handles (one on one side one on the front; there is no evidence that there was ever a handle on the other side), and two brass clasps (both on the front, one is locking, which is damaged). Surface of trunk is worn, indicating much use. An interesting and unique item. There is no indication where this trunk travelled, except that it came back to New York several times. Perhaps this is the trunk she took with her to Europe in the early 1950's when she spent time there with her husband and other literary friends (W. H. Auden, Gore Vidal, and Tennessee Williams), and brought it back to New York with her when her husband wanted to have a suicide pact with her in Paris and she fled back to the United States for her own safety (he killed himself in a Paris hotel in 1953).