Kneesi and Other Washington, DC Trunk Sellers

From what I can tell while researching my family’s history, the leather goods/trunks/luggage trade was quite vibrant in the VA-MD-DC area from the 1860s up thru the 1920s.

Kaspar Kneessi had multiple outlets for his products just before he settled at 425 7th St N.W.in D.C. By 1916, his sons Gus & Fred opened a 2nd store (Gus closed it in 1924 when he retired). Gustaves son Ed opened a store in 1910, which turned out to be the last Kneessi ‘branch’ when it closed in 1929.

The central business district of Washington, D.C developed into a roughly 40 to 60 square block area; from 7th St on the east to 15th St on the west; and from I St on the north to D St on the SE corner to F St on the SW corner (Pa Ave runs NW-SE which cuts thru the area and helps define it).
Of course there were then and later other shopping areas but this was the ‘core’ and lasted for years.

There were many department stores (I remember some) which sold trunks/luggage/and other leather goods. S. Kanns & sons sold various brands. An ad in 1914 says they bought out the bankrupt Berman firm and displayed some of the trunks for sale. In 1915, they had an ad for ‘Neverbreak’ trunks and a later ad showed where they bought out L. Goldsmiths & Sons stock of ‘Neverbreak’ trunks. Another ad in 1916 showed more of these for sale.

In 1910, Woodward & Lothrop claimed to be ‘exclusive’ agents  for the Indestructo brand of trunks. A 1916 ad had Safe-Lock trunks displayed.

The Hecht company sold every kind known to man.

Smaller firms such as Bermans on F St and Lutz on Pa Ave sold every kind of trunk possible. As did H.W. Topham, who advertised Indestructo trunks as well as making his own trunks. In 1914, his firm landed a contract to make 10,000 U.S. Army trunks – which he always played up in later ads. One ad he ran claimed Teddy Roosevelt took Tophams trunks on his African safaris.

VA Trunk & Bag Company of Petersburg rans ads for its Dread-Naught line of luggage and trunks.

The Kneessi firm at one time or another sold all of these lines as well as products they made themselves.

Information added in June
2006:

I’ve updated the notes on the Kneessi trunk company that I gave you for your website awhile back.
Hopefully, there’s some more details you can use here.

Thanks, Al Peters

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There were many newspapers in Washington, D.C. from the 1860s up thru the 1920s. The Washington Post was not the largest in circulation until it later took over other newspapers such as the Time and the Herald. (today there is another Times which had nothing to do with the paper of many years ago). The newspaper of the day was the Washington Star. Both the Star and the Post ran many ads for the trunk & leather industry in the city. I’ve poured over many ads and spent may hours gathering data about the many trunk companies in D.C. from about 1860 up thru the 1930s when most had vanished. Here’s a rough summation of what I’ve gleaned.

>From what I can tell while researching my family’s history, the leather goods/trunks/luggage trade
was quite vibrant in the VA-MD-DC area from the 1860s up thru the 1920s. Among them was my great great grandfather Kaspar Kneessi and after his death in 1890, his sons Gustave and Frederick. Gustaves
son Ed managed many of the retail outlets over years and finally his own before it also closed in 1929.

Kaspar Kneessi had multiple outlets for his products just before he settled at 422 (which had been
499 when he bought the factory from James Topham a few years earlier)
7th St N.W.in D.C. Topham built a larger factory across the street at 500 7th St, which then became 425 7th St.

When Kaspar moved to 499 7th St, he took on as a partner Tophams former business partner, Thomas
Norflet. In turn, Conrad Becker (who had been a business partner of Kneessi, went into business with James Topham. Later, Norflet would leave Kneessi and partner with Becker elsewhere in the city. Topham
would later sell his new building  to Kaspar Kneessi. Upon Kaspars death in 1890, the business at  425 7th

St would become  ‘K. Kneessis  Sons’. Topham headed over to Penn. Ave. and later on F St.,
closer to the White House. Norflet would leave Becker and just vanish. The Becker leather business would keep a presence in the D.C. area up thru the 1980s.

By 1916, Kaspars sons Gus & Fred opened a 2nd store which Gus later bought himself when he sold
his interest in the family store. Gus closed it in 1924 and  he retired. Gustaves son Ed opened a store in 1923, which turned out to be the last Kneessi ‘branch’ when it closed in 1929. The central business district
of Washington, D.C developed into a roughly 40 to 60 square block area; from 5th St on  the east to 15th St on the west; and from I St on the north to D St on the SE corner to F St on the SW corner (Pa Ave runs NW-SE which cuts thru the area and helps define it).

Of course there were then and later other shopping areas but  this was the ‘core’ and lasted
for years. There were many department stores which sold trunks/luggage/and
other leather goods. S. Kanns & sons sold various brands. An ad in 1914 says they bought out the bankrupt Berman firm and displayed some of the trunks for sale. In 1915, they had an ad for ‘Neverbreak’ trunks and a  later ad showed where they bought out L. Goldsmiths & Sons stock
of ‘Neverbreak’ trunks. Another ad in 1916 showed more of these for sale. In 1910, Woodward & Lothrop claimed to be ‘exclusive’ agents  for the Indestructo brand of trunks. A 1916 ad had Safe-Lock trunks displayed. The Hecht company sold every kind known to man. Smaller firms such as Bermans on F St and Lutz on Pa Ave sold every kind of trunk possible. As did James Topham, who advertised Indestructo trunks as well as making his own. In 1914, his firm landed a contract to make 10,000 U.S. Army trunks – which he always played up in later ads. One ad he ran claimed Teddy Roosevelt took Tophams trunks on his African safaris. James Topham died in 1912 but the business continued in the the 1920s under the H.W. Topham name. VA Trunk & Bag Company of Petersburg ran ads for its Dread-Naught line of luggage and trunks.

Neverbreak trunks seem to have been manufactured by many vendors including the Kneessi firm. Ads
found on the internet bear this out.  The firms which actually made them were allowed to place their companys name alongside the name Neverbreak and I’ve seen several samples of this (ed note – this is Mr. Peters claim, not the opinion of BVTS but that’s just fine).

The Kneessi firm at one time or another sold all of these lines as well as products they made themselves.
Over the years they held many contracts for leather goods for the federal government. They once made a white leather harness, trimmed in gold for President Grant. They made a sets of luggage and trunks for each member of the U.S. Congress, some of which turn up for sale on ebay from time-to-time. In 1927, Fred Kneessi and his 2 sisters cashed out the business after 67 years and retired. Soon thereafter, most of the others were part of history as well.

Some of the firms found include:

Baums  7th, 8th St and D St

NW L A Beall 361 7th St NW (before
the street was renumbered)

R Goldschmid  1007-1009
F St NW

McMurray   506
Market Square

Norflet & Topham 
499 7th St NW

WB Strong  255 Penn
Ave NW

James S Topham 500 7th St
NW

Wall, Stephens & Co 
322 Penn Ave NW

Beckers 1324-1326 F St NW

L Berman of Baltimore 
1227 Penn Ave NW

Joeseph Hutchinson 
1109 14th St NW

Lutz & Co  497 Penn
Ave NW

Va Trunk & Bag Co 
Petersburg Va