Footlocker
MediumWood, metal, paper
Dimensions31"x25"x19"
Classifications3D Object
Object number2007.019.066
DescriptionCamel back trunk (1870s-1910). Footlocker/trunk made of pine, iron, tin, cardboard and paper. The item as 3 vertical pine slats on the front (2 on the outside are longer than the one in the middle). There is one horizontal slat on the bottom. The valance that goes all the way around the item is iron. The two tin covering pieces (one on either side) have no design. The middle pieces have embossed acorn designs. The lock and receiver are iron. The latches (2, one on either side) have latch releases and are embossed with "PAT JUL 9 72" for July 9, 1872. The metal straps on the wooden slats have an arrow like shape design in the middle. All of the pieces are connected with iron nails (same for every piece all over object). The iron clamps on the edge have "v" designs. The proper left and right sides are identical in design. There are two pine horizontal slats that are beveled on the ends. The handle was leather, but is missing (except for the pieces in the caps). The caps are iron and have an embossed star with rays coming out of them. The bottom piece of tin covering is plain, but the rest of the covering is embossed with the acorn design. The proper left side top wooden slat has "INDIAN SCHOOL CARLISLE PA" etched in black on it. The tin cover pieces on the edge of the lid on either side are a continuation of the cover pieces of tin on either side of the lid. These pieces have been cut into slits so they mold around the the curvature of the lid. The top is curved (dome, steamer or camel back shape). There are three wooden slats that stretch vertically across it and two pieces on either side that are horizontal (front and back sides). The two edge tin pieces have no embossing and the two inner covering pieces have the acorn embossed design. The six clamps (3 on either side) have same "v" design as the clamps on the front. The back is similar to the sides- 2 wooden horizontal slats, the side and bottom tin covering pieces are not embossed, and the middle pieces have the embossed acorn design on them. There are two hinges (one on either side) that connect the lid to the back. The hinge on the proper left is broken and the bottom piece of the hinge is missing.The bottom is comprised of plain tin sheets and along the proper front edge there are two wheels (none on the back edge). The inside of the item has a wooden tray that can be lifted out (need a conservator to do). The decorations on the inside of the lid are glued paper- proper left is a blue piece with a compass rose like design and on the proper right is a maroon piece with an lithograph of a brunette girl wearing green and holding a muff. The hat box lid is on blue paper that is glued to cardboard with the same image as the maroon piece. It lifts to reveal a wooden compartment. The proper right side of the tray has a lid (cardboard?) with a piece of maroon colored paper on it with a black and white photograph of a woman. Email between Stan Byers, Chief of Exhibits, US Army Heritage and Education Center, and Stacy dated August 10, 2007 (copy in physical file) reads, "Stacey, Haven't heard back from you on the footlocker so I don't know if your questions have been addressed? As I think I elaborated on the phone, it's probably surplus military which was not uncommon for everything utilized by the school. During the Indian school period, Carlisle Barracks was still owned by the Army but it was never manned with a garrison. The only military presence was that of the headmaster, Richard Pratt. This was the same Richard Pratt who was also in charge of the Kiowa, Comanche, Cheyenne and Arapaho prisoners sent to Fort Marion in 1875. We don't have much of anything in the collection from the school period. The Army, in it's finite wisdom, gave most of the Indian school items to the Cumberland County Historical Society. We hav mostly photographs and a few items produced by the students in the trade shops and most of those items are associated with Pratt or one of the school staff. About all that remains are the various buildings. In fact, my office is located in what was once the commissary for the school". A catalog, possibly for exhibits, (located in the physical file) reads, "Carlisle Indian Industrial School 1879-1918, Carlisle Indian Industrial School was an Indian Boarding School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. One of the first of it's kind; it was founded by Captain Richard Henry Pratt at an abandoned military post. The so-called 'noble-experiment' was a failed attampt to forcibly assimilate Native Marican children into white civilization. One of the main principles of the school, as Captain Pratt is known to have famously said, was to "Kill the Indian and Save the Man". Because of Pratt's "success" at shaped the Indian's identity, it later spawned several Indian boarding schools across the county and became a part of the U.S[sic] Indian Policy. There were reportedly 72 Potawatomi students between1879 and 1918 tgat attended Carlisle. The CHC recently received a donation from a tribal member whose father David 'Pumunkatuc' Johnson attended Carlisle from 1895-1899. The donation was a footlocker that was given to Mr. Johnson upon his arrival at Carlisle in 1895. Marked in Army stencil on the side of the footlocker reads, "Indian School: Carlisle, PA". The footlocker would have held several pieces of clothing and other accessories in it. The footlocker still has remnants of proof that clothing items were put in the footlocker from a small piece of paper located inside of the truck listing the items and stating that Mr. Johnson was responsible for these items following that was signature. From what is known about the footlocker and correspondence with staff in Pennsylvania, it is believed to be the only one in existence. The footlocker is currently on display at the CHC".Collections