Meg Randell
Head of U.K. & Europe for Fashion and Handbags
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Lot 206
Louis Vuitton: an 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' Library Trunk 1911
29 September – 9 October 2025, 12:00 BST
Online, London, Knightsbridge£7,000 - £10,000
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Suzi Yang
Specialist
Louis Vuitton: an 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' Library Trunk
1911
Monogram canvas case, lozenge edging, brass rivets, locks, and reinforced corners, the lid removing to reveal brown fabric lined interior with four compartments, and fitted with a full set of Cambridge University Press Encyclopaedia Britannica in 29 green-leather-bound Volumes including Index, 11th editions dated 1910-1911
Condition Grade D+
89cm x 33cm 27cm
Monogram canvas case, lozenge edging, brass rivets, locks, and reinforced corners, the lid removing to reveal brown fabric lined interior with four compartments, and fitted with a full set of Cambridge University Press Encyclopaedia Britannica in 29 green-leather-bound Volumes including Index, 11th editions dated 1910-1911
Condition Grade D+
89cm x 33cm 27cm
Footnotes
This trunk was specially commissioned by Encyclopaedia Britannica and is associated with Cambridge University.
As described in 100 Legendary Trunks by Louis Vuitton, the idea was both ingenious and practical: rather than having to decide what essential reading material one might bring to a desert island, why not take the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica? recognised as the most comprehensive and well-researched collection of knowledge, the encyclopaedia was continuously revised and updated, making it not only an indispensable source of learning but also an ideal companion for long journeys.
In 1910, the publisher—linked to Cambridge University—placed an order for 1,000 trunks a full year before the eleventh edition was released. Each trunk was designed to house twenty-nine volumes, totalling roughly 28,000 pages (excluding the index) and containing 40,000 articles, all carefully edited to expand its market reach in North America.
The design of the trunk exemplified elegance and practicality. Not only was it available in various finishes, once the lid was raised, the trunk revealed neatly arranged rows of volumes, each clearly numbered for easy identification.
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