{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1331573"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1331573/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JH8266/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JH8266/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JH8266","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JH8262","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JH8255","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1331573","accessionNumber":"W.11:1,2-2016","objectType":"Hatbox","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The box carries stamps for ‘Luterma’ and ‘Venesta’ on the inside of its lid. From 1897 Luterma was the trade name for products made by the A.M. Luther Woodworking Company for Mechanical Woodworking (founded 1877) in Tallin, Estonia. Luterma was one of, if not the, most important manufacturers of plywood and plywood products in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Venesta Plywood Company, founded in 1908, was Luterma’s U.K. distributor (‘Venesta’ is a combination of the words ‘veneers’ and ‘Estonia’).\r\n\r\nLuterma began to make plywood hatboxes in the mid-1890s, under their newly-formed Department of Sundry Goods. The boxes were made to a range of standardised sizes, using a basic mechanised ‘wrapping’ technique. Other products made in the same department included plywood pails, crates and chests. All of these products were manufactured in large quantities for a growing, global market. Venesta sold hatboxes of this type at least until the end of the 1930s. Their 1936 ‘sundries’ catalogue advertises a hatbox apparently of the same design (although lined), offered in four different sizes ‘made to nest’.","physicalDescription":"The box is in two parts - a main body with separate lid. A leather strap, with buckle, extends over the lid and holds it in place. A second smaller strap is attached to the side of the box - this allows it to be carried by hand.\r\n\r\nThe circular form of the box is made from a single sheet of birch plywood. The lid is slightly wider in diameter, allowing it to slot over the top edge of the box. The base of the box and the top of the lid are both formed from flat sheets of plywood. A punched metal band runs around the lower edge of the box and upper edge of the lid, presumably to adding strength and as protection against damage. The punching on these bands is irregular, suggesting that it was done by hand.\r\n\r\nThe leather straps are replacements, although the box would have had straps in this configuration (one to hold the lid closed, and one for carrying) when first made. The box is unlined. It carries stamps on the inside of its lid for 'Luterma' and 'Venesta'. There are the remains of a paper sticker on its outside edge. This sticker, now illegible, was presumably used to label it for travel.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Luterma","id":"AUTH337659"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Venesta","id":"A21423"},"association":{"text":"sold by","id":"x44344"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"birch plywood","id":"x33282"},{"text":"leather","id":"AAT11845"},{"text":"leather","id":"AAT11845"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"x46876"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded 3-ply birch plywood with metal bandings and replacement leather straps, paper labels","categories":[{"text":"Hats & headwear","id":"THES48943"},{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"},{"text":"Clothing","id":"THES48975"},{"text":"Tourism & Travel","id":"THES250702"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2016JH8266","2016JH8262","2016JH8255"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"74","id":"THES49720"},"free":"","case":"CA001","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"74","id":"THES49720"},"free":"","case":"CA001","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"hatbox","id":"AAT198927"}],[{"text":"hatbox lid","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Estonia","id":"x30327"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1897","earliest":"1892-01-01","latest":"1901-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"ca. 1930","earliest":"1925-01-01","latest":"1934-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"85.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"27/07/2016","earliest":"2016-07-27","latest":"2016-07-27"},"part":"","note":"full height"},{"dimension":"Height","value":"42.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"20/07/2016","earliest":"2016-07-20","latest":"2016-07-20"},"part":"","note":"of seat"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"42.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"20/07/2016","earliest":"2016-07-20","latest":"2016-07-20"},"part":"","note":"front of seat"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"38.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"20/07/2016","earliest":"2016-07-20","latest":"2016-07-20"},"part":"","note":"of seat"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"54","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"20/07/2016","earliest":"2016-07-20","latest":"2016-07-20"},"part":"","note":"approx depth of widest point"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Stamped on the inside of its lid by Luterma and Venesta.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"\r\n","briefDescription":"Hatbox, manufactured by Luterma, sold by Venesta, moulded 3-ply birch plywood with metal bandings and replacement leather straps, manufactured in Estonia, designed about 1897, manufactured about 1930","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Wilk, Christopher.<u> Plywood: A Material Story.</u> London: Thames & Hudson / V&A, 2017","id":"AUTH345215"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Estonia","id":"x30327"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[{"text":"Luterma","id":"AUTH337659"},{"text":"Venesta","id":"A21423"}],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Mass-producing innovative materials\n\nThe company Luterma in Tallinn, Estonia was an important plywood manufacturer in the early 20th century. Its Department of Sundry Goods made use of a new, highly efficient technique of mechanically wrapping plywood around forms to produce a variety of products, including suitcases and hatboxes like the two shown here. Ensuring the expensive new machinery was cost-effective by reducing the number of stages of production, Luterma was able to mass-produce goods to sell to an international market.\n\r\nPlywood hatbox \nAbout 1930 (designed 1897) \nManufactured by Luterma, Estonia \nMoulded birch plywood with metal bindings and leather straps \nMuseum no. W.11:1, 2-2016\n\nPlywood suitcase\nAbout 1930 (designed 1897)\nManufactured by Luterma, Estonia \nMoulded birch plywood with leather hinges, straps and handle \nGiven by the Shand Family Museum no. W.12-2016\n\nThe object sits in the 'Automation and Labour' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021","date":{"text":"2021","earliest":"2021-01-01","latest":"2021-12-31"}},{"text":"Text from <i>Plywood: Material of the Modern World</i> (15 July-12 November 2017)\r\n\nHATBOXES, BAGS AND SUITCASES\n\nThe Russian company Luterma made\r\nthese hatboxes, bags and suitcases.\r\nLuterma was an important 20th-century\r\nplywood manufacturer, with a large\r\nBritish distributor called Venesta. They\r\nsold moulded products like these in great\r\nquantities. The hatboxes and suitcases\r\nwere marketed as lightweight and strong\r\nand came in a range of sizes. They typify\r\na move towards smaller luggage in the\r\n1920s and ’30s, linked to new kinds of\r\ntravel in aeroplanes and cars.\n\nHATBOX\r\nDesigned about 1897\r\nManufactured about 1930 by Luterma\r\n(previously A.M. Luther), distributed by Venesta\r\nMade in Estonia\r\nMoulded 3-ply birch plywood with metal bandings\r\nand replacement leather straps, paper labels\r\nV&amp;A: W.11-2016\n\r\nHATBOX\r\nAbout 1930\r\nManufactured by Samson (later Samsonite)\r\nMade in the USA\r\nMoulded 3-ply birch plywood, with an additional\r\nreinforcing layer of 3-ply at top and bottom\r\nV&amp;A: NCOL.524-2015\n\nSUITCASE\r\nAbout 1930\r\nManufactured by Luterma (previously A.M. Luther),\r\ndistributed by Venesta\r\nMade in Estonia\r\nMoulded and sheet 3-ply birch plywood with an\r\nadditional reinforcing layer of 3-ply added around the\r\nedge of the lid; leather straps, hinges and handle;\r\npaper labels, wax seals\r\nOriginally owned by P. Morton Shand (1888–1960),\r\ncontributor to the Architectural Review\r\nGiven by the Shand family\r\nV&amp;A: W.12-2016\n\nHANDBAG\r\nAbout 1930\r\nBags of this type were used by both men and women,\r\nand sold in various sizes\r\nManufactured by Luterma (previously A.M. Luther)\r\nMade in Estonia\r\nMoulded 3-ply birch plywood with leather straps\r\nV&amp;A: NCOL.602-2016\r\n\nSMALL BAG\r\nAbout 1930\r\nSmall bags of this type were sold for various uses,\r\nincluding as lunchboxes and for carrying botanical\r\nspecimens\r\nManufactured by Luterma (previously A.M. Luther)\r\nMade in Estonia\r\nMoulded 3-ply birch plywood with leather straps\r\nV&amp;A: NCOL.303-2017\n\nHATBOX\r\nAbout 1900\r\nManufactured by A.M. Luther (later Luterma)\r\nMade in Estonia\r\nMoulded 3-ply birch plywood, with an additional\r\nreinforcing layer of 3-ply at bottom, leather straps\r\nV&amp;A: NCOL.523-2015","date":{"text":"2017","earliest":"2017-01-01","latest":"2017-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.11:1-2016","W.11:2-2016"],"accessionNumberNum":"11","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":2016,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-13","recordCreationDate":"2016-02-09","availableToBook":false}}