In 1911, Cambridge University Press completed publication of the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica — twenty-nine volumes representing the most comprehensive and authoritative single reference work in the English language, a monument of Edwardian scholarship that drew contributions from over 1,500 writers and remains, more than a century later, one of the most celebrated publishing achievements in history. In the same year, Louis Vuitton produced a trunk designed to carry it — and stamped the interior lid with the words that make the present example unique among all surviving examples of this model: "Specially made for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Louis Vuitton."
That inscription transforms this trunk from a rare specialised object into a primary document — a manufacturer's own statement of purpose, applied at the moment of production and surviving intact after more than a century. It confirms not merely that this trunk was designed to house the Encyclopaedia Britannica, but that it was produced as part of a specific commission between the two institutions: the most celebrated publisher of reference works in the world, and the most celebrated maker of luggage. The convergence is without parallel in the history of either.
The trunk itself is constructed in Louis Vuitton's monogram canvas — here in the smaller-scale, higher-density pattern of the period — with the characteristic embossed lozine border trim, reinforced brass corner guards, and a large central brass lock plate. The top-mounted leather handle retains its original structure. The form is long, low, and precisely proportioned to accommodate the volumes of the Encyclopaedia in a single fitted layer — a configuration so specific to its purpose that no other use would have suggested it. The trunk is presented on a purpose-made brass stand that elevates it to console height, the volumes visible along the full length of the open case.
The interior lid carries the original ink-stamped commission inscription: "Specially made for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Louis Vuitton." The interior itself is lined in the house's period fabric and fitted precisely for the volumes it was designed to hold. All twenty-nine volumes of the Eleventh Edition — Volumes 1 through 29, from A to AND through VET to ZYM — are present, published by Cambridge University Press, in the original fitted configuration. The set is complete.
Library trunks of this model were produced in extremely limited numbers. Examples in any condition are rare. Examples retaining their complete original volumes are rarer still. An example bearing the original commission inscription in the interior lid — confirming the specific institutional relationship between Vuitton and the Encyclopaedia Britannica — is, to the best of our knowledge, without precedent in the current market.
Interior Lid Inscription: "Specially made for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Louis Vuitton" Contents: Complete Eleventh Edition, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Cambridge University Press — Volumes 1–29, all present in original fitted interior Provenance: Private collection, United States Stand: Custom brass, purpose-made Dimensions: 10.5 × 35 × 13 in
Condition: Very good overall. Monogram canvas exterior shows honest wear consistent with age and travel, with structure and hardware well-preserved throughout. Lozine trim intact. Brass hardware complete — corner guards, lock plate, and handle all present. Interior lid commission inscription "Specially made for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Louis Vuitton" present and legible. Interior fitted configuration intact. All twenty-nine volumes of the Eleventh Edition present and complete.
Literature:
Florence Müller, Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks, New York, 2010, p. 253
Pierre Léonforte, Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury, Paris, 2004
In 1911, Cambridge University Press completed publication of the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica — twenty-nine volumes representing the most comprehensive and authoritative single reference work in the English language, a monument of Edwardian scholarship that drew contributions from over 1,500 writers and remains, more than a century later, one of the most celebrated publishing achievements in history. In the same year, Louis Vuitton produced a trunk designed to carry it — and stamped the interior lid with the words that make the present example unique among all surviving examples of this model: "Specially made for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Louis Vuitton."
That inscription transforms this trunk from a rare specialised object into a primary document — a manufacturer's own statement of purpose, applied at the moment of production and surviving intact after more than a century. It confirms not merely that this trunk was designed to house the Encyclopaedia Britannica, but that it was produced as part of a specific commission between the two institutions: the most celebrated publisher of reference works in the world, and the most celebrated maker of luggage. The convergence is without parallel in the history of either.
The trunk itself is constructed in Louis Vuitton's monogram canvas — here in the smaller-scale, higher-density pattern of the period — with the characteristic embossed lozine border trim, reinforced brass corner guards, and a large central brass lock plate. The top-mounted leather handle retains its original structure. The form is long, low, and precisely proportioned to accommodate the volumes of the Encyclopaedia in a single fitted layer — a configuration so specific to its purpose that no other use would have suggested it. The trunk is presented on a purpose-made brass stand that elevates it to console height, the volumes visible along the full length of the open case.
The interior lid carries the original ink-stamped commission inscription: "Specially made for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Louis Vuitton." The interior itself is lined in the house's period fabric and fitted precisely for the volumes it was designed to hold. All twenty-nine volumes of the Eleventh Edition — Volumes 1 through 29, from A to AND through VET to ZYM — are present, published by Cambridge University Press, in the original fitted configuration. The set is complete.
Library trunks of this model were produced in extremely limited numbers. Examples in any condition are rare. Examples retaining their complete original volumes are rarer still. An example bearing the original commission inscription in the interior lid — confirming the specific institutional relationship between Vuitton and the Encyclopaedia Britannica — is, to the best of our knowledge, without precedent in the current market.
Interior Lid Inscription: "Specially made for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Louis Vuitton" Contents: Complete Eleventh Edition, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Cambridge University Press — Volumes 1–29, all present in original fitted interior Provenance: Private collection, United States Stand: Custom brass, purpose-made Dimensions: 10.5 × 35 × 13 in
Condition: Very good overall. Monogram canvas exterior shows honest wear consistent with age and travel, with structure and hardware well-preserved throughout. Lozine trim intact. Brass hardware complete — corner guards, lock plate, and handle all present. Interior lid commission inscription "Specially made for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Louis Vuitton" present and legible. Interior fitted configuration intact. All twenty-nine volumes of the Eleventh Edition present and complete.
Literature:
Florence Müller, Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks, New York, 2010, p. 253
Pierre Léonforte, Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury, Paris, 2004
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