Hartmann Luggage History
Hartmann Luggage has provided Americans with the finest quality luggage and leather goods for over 130 years. Hartmann Luggage is a symbol of quality and fashion. Hartmann first created luggage that was innovative, and easy to use for travel via a steam liners and railroads, Hartmann’s main focus has always been on durability, as well as style and elegance. Today Hartmann Luggage creates everything from smaller bags and suitcases to larger trunks and briefcases, to suit every mode of travel. Their aim is to make travel fun and easy.Buy Hartmann Luggage here cheap.
A Brief History of Hartmann Luggage
Hartmann Inc was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA in 1877 by Joseph S. Hartmann, who was originally a Trunk maker by profession. Mr. Hartmann’s vision was to create luggage that was so elegant and beautiful that it would stand out. Which is why later in 1905, Hartmann, Inc moved their facilities to Racine, Wisconsin, where Mr. Hartmann realized his vision of designing and manufacturing better and more elegant luggage. This was from where Hartmann Luggage really took off.
The industrial growth of the 1910s and 1920s, fueled the demand for Hartmann Luggage, newly established railroads and highways began to connect the 38 states, and people begun to travel more often, which is why they need good quality and durable luggage that fueled the rapid expansion of Hartmann Luggage to accommodate the insatiable demand for luggage.
By the 30s Hartmann Luggage manufactured over 800 different models, sizes and colors of luggage, and steamship trunks. As commercial aviation began to evolve, and air routes began to touch every major global destination, a new breed of traveler began to demand luggage. Unlike people who were travelling by railroads or steamships air travelers need small, light and comfortable luggage. Hartmann Luggage responded to this demand by designing luggage that was durable and light yet offered the same glamour and elegance as their conventional trunks and luggage. Hartmann’s goal was to cater to the demands of the rich and famous who were frequent travelers during the early days of commercial aviation.
By 1939, Hartmann Luggage was in search of super strong leather that could withstand the rigors of travel. For this the president of Hartmann decided to use leather making techniques that were used to make flywheel belts in those days. A Canadian tannery was put in charge of this task and six months later Belting Leather emerged out of which business cases and other personal luggage was made from.
Hartmann Luggage originally made its framed luggage from aluminum and steel, however after years of testing they discovered that basswood frames performed better. As a result of this discovery durable basswood frames were incorporated into luggage during the 1950s. Studies showed that basswood performed much better than aluminum or steel frames. Basswood also made the luggage much lighter.
The famous James Bond author immortalized Hartmann’s name in his 1954 novel entitled ‘Live and Let Die, in which he describes James Bond carrying a lightweight Hartmann Luggage “skymate” suitcase.
A New Owner of Hartmann Luggage
Later in 1955 The Hartmann family sold their business to Benjamin S. Katz, who later in 1956 opened a manufacturing facility in a high school gym in Lebanon, Tennessee. In 1958 Hartmann introduced the famous and sleek “707″ line of Luggage which was initially inspired by America’s first jetliner. The “707″ was ultra light and sleek. Later in 1959 the company’s plant and manufacturing facilities were expanded and relocated to Tennessee. The demand for Hartmann Luggage grew to a point where they needed to increase their number of stores from 100 to 450. Hartmann continued to develop more fashionable pieces of luggage right through the 1960s, which primarily targeted women who made up 80 percent of Hartmann’s customers.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s fashion designers Halston and Gloria Vanderbilt were hired by Hartmann Luggage to design a line of luggage that attracted the fashion conscious. The demand for fashionable luggage bags exploded when Boeing introduced its 747 airliner that reduced the cost of air travel. Now almost everyone travelled by air, and they all needed high quality, and durable luggage.
Hartmann Luggage Today
The Brown Forman Corporation acquired Hartmann Luggage in 1983, and still continues to design and manufacture high quality and elegant luggage. Even today Hartmann Luggage is recognized for its consistent themes and innovative design, and even after 130 years it shows no sign of slowing down.
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