71. LOUIS VUITTON (70, CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES)
Small suitcase in orange vuittonite, marked "X" and
numbered 1, with the colors of the owner.
Lock with dust cover.
Label numbered 754732.
Natural leather handle.
Signed.
(Missing the key).
17 x 34,5 x 59 cm.
Special trunk for the Croisière Noire Citroën,
Paris-Tombouctou, circa 1924.
Champs Elysées n°754786 - 754718 circa 1924
Black Cruise Edition
"In France, the year 1924 (...) of the Croisière Noire, which
the glory of the manufacturer André Citroën. Departure
October 28, 1924 from Colomb-Béchar in Algeria, on the
the Sahara, the Croisière noire travelled 20,000 kilometers until its arrival
20,000 kilometers until its arrival on June 26, 1925 in
Tananarive, Madagascar, after 235 days, not without
without having traced a new route through Central Africa
Central Africa.
In private life, Mr. and Mrs. Citroën are
loyal customers of Louis Vuitton. In 1923, a
a comfortable order for a series of luggage
luggage ranging from an aero trunk to a lunch case,
informs about a project of the couple to take part
to personally take part in the Black Cruise after the
the frustration of the aborted inaugural voyage of the
trans-Saharan line. At the same time, this same year
year, at the express request of André Citroën, the
Vuitton began designing and preparing the trunks and
preparation of trunks and cases of all kinds intended for
for the raid and, because of their exceptional nature, were
special orders.
(...) Gaston Louis-Vuitton raises and worries about
several crucial points: "Cars III and VIII
do not have an individual pharmacy. Should they be provided in the same place as the other cars?
same location as the other cars?" Or
or "The AV BVI CVIIII cars are indicated with two toilet bags
Is this not a mistake?
Another request was made: "Cars I and II
of Mr Haardt & Mr Audouin-Dubreuil
are provided with toilet bags that should contain
contain: three large bottles, four small ones. What
capacities? Should these bottles be made of crystal or metal
metal - aluminum, melchior or silver? This is followed by
questions about keys.
In particular for chests containing medicines and poisons.
and poisons. On September 10, 1924, Georges-Marie
Haardt, sends to the House Vuitton the complete list
of what his toilet suitcase should contain. A
of bottles with caps and stilligoutte
and containing hair and eye lotions, cologne, etc.
cologne, etc.; a tooth glass, a shaving bowl, clothes brushes
brushes for clothes, hair, nails, manicure accessories, a small
accessories, a small pharmacy including tubes of quinine
of quinine tablets, aspirin, etc.; splinter forceps.
splinter forceps. And to imagine the meticulous care that
to draw up lists of everything that will be taken aboard the eight
that would be taken on board the eight autochenilles and the
the ingenuity that Vuitton had to develop so that this severely exhaustive
exhaustive inventory could be accommodated in the 150 or so
the 150 or so trunks delivered to Citroën. Trunks
covered with a coated canvas of a different color,
each vehicle having been assigned a specific color
color: red, yellow, and containing cots, work tables
work tables, folding seats, spare clothes, toiletries
toiletries, various accessories, tools,
dishes, medicines, drinking water, ... but also boxes for boots
but also boxes for boots, trunks-lavabos, boxes containing
containing rifle and revolver cartridges, etc.".
Bibliography: "Louis Vuitton -100 Trunks of
Legend" published by Editions de la Martinière.
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