Objects

Sittin family travel trunk. Made of boards, upholstered on the outside with a leather-like material and on the inside with an orange material with a barely discernible white pattern. The original metal plating has survived: rivets, lock, handles and reinforcement along the sides. The trunk bears many signs of repair. Missing elements, such as horizontal plywood to reinforce the trunk structure, were retrofitted. Repairs were carried out at different times, using different materials. The most visible change concerns the interior of the trunk. Taped to its walls are pages from post-war newspapers. Photographs showing selected works of art or world cinema stars were primarily used for this purpose. The newspapers were to replace the worn-out material with which the trunk was originally lined. The bottom also shows traces of newspapers, glued to the wooden boards in several places. The lid of the trunk is rounded at the top.

Originally the trunk was lockable, the lock is presently not functional. The same is true of the later closing mechanism, which is also damaged. Although the trunk has undergone many repairs, most often amateurish ones, and is missing some of its original components, it still gives the impression of being sturdy.

Lea Sittin is probably responsible for some of the repairs, such as lining the trunk walls with newspaper. Like most other family heirlooms, it was stored in the cellar.