Est. 1839
The House
Nearly two centuries of trunk-making, Royal Warrants, and fine leather.
Chapter I — The Founding
A Woman and a Workshop
In 1839, Harriet Jane Cave opened a workshop at 1 Edwards Street, Portman Square. She was a female founder eighty years before Coco Chanel — building a luxury house in an era when women could not vote, could not own property after marriage, and were largely excluded from commerce.
Her workshop produced Railway Baskets — lightweight waterproofed wicker trunks designed for the new age of rail travel. She registered designs with the Patent Office, exhibited at the great international exhibitions, and expanded to 74, 76 & 78 Wigmore Street — the largest travel-goods premises in London.
Chapter II — The Catalogue, 1873
Among the First Handbags Ever Advertised
Page 40 of the H.J. Cave & Sons catalogue, dated May 1873, advertises "Cave & Sons' Leather Hand Bags" — structured bags with top handles, rigid frames, and double-action locks, in Black Enamelled Cowhide and Morocco leather. This is among the earliest known commercial uses of the term. The 72-page original survives in the company archive.
Chapter III — Paris, 1867 & 1878
Beating Louis Vuitton — Twice
At the 1867 Paris Exposition Universelle, H.J. Cave was awarded the silver medal — the highest prize for trunks. Louis Vuitton received bronze. Cave beat Vuitton on French soil.
Eleven years later, at the 1878 Paris International Exhibition, Cave won the Gold Medal — the highest award possible. The jury also awarded silver and bronze medals to Cave’s individual craftsmen for their rare skill.
- 1867 ParisSilver Medal — highest award for trunks
- 1878 ParisGold Medal — highest award possible
- CraftsmenSilver and bronze, awarded individually
Chapter IV — Recognition
By Royal Warrant
In 1863, Harriet Cave received the Royal Warrant of Appointment as Railway Basket Maker to H.R.H. The Princess of Wales. When the Princess became Queen Alexandra, the Warrant was maintained. The firm held a Royal Warrant continuously from 1863 until the 1940s — spanning the reigns of Queen Victoria, Edward VII, George V, and George VI. Nearly eighty years of unbroken royal patronage.
By Appointment to
H.R.H. The Princess of Wales
Railway Basket & Trunk Makers
Wigmore Street, London
Chapter V — The Clients
Churchill, Gucci, and the British Establishment
In October 1909, Winston Churchill — then President of the Board of Trade — purchased a portmanteau from H.J. Cave & Sons. He was thirty-four years old and already one of the most prominent politicians in Britain.
Guccio Gucci, founder of the House of Gucci, worked at the Savoy Hotel in London from 1897 to 1921, where he encountered the luggage of the British establishment. His granddaughter Patricia would later name H.J. Cave alongside Louis Vuitton among the makers whose work inspired him to found his own company in Florence.
- Winston ChurchillClient, 1909
- Guccio GucciCited as inspiration by the Gucci family
- W.E. GladstoneFour provenance trunks survive
- Katherine MansfieldTrunk in the national collection, New Zealand
Chapter VI — Innovation
The Osilite Trunk
As travel shifted from rail to motor and air, Cave developed the Osilite trunk from pressurised lightweight wood — dramatically lighter and stronger than conventional luggage. In 1933, Osilite trunks were chosen for the Houston–Mt. Everest Expedition, the first flight to pass over the summit of Everest.
Today, the Cabin Bag and Clutch conceal interiors of the same solid steamed wood.
Milestones
A History in Dates
The Founding
Harriet Jane Cave opens a workshop at 1 Edwards Street, Portman Square.
Royal Warrant
Appointed Railway Basket Maker to H.R.H. The Princess of Wales. Held continuously for nearly eighty years.
Paris — Beating Vuitton
Silver medal (highest for trunks) at the Paris Exposition Universelle. Louis Vuitton received bronze.
The Hand Bag
Cave's catalogue advertises "Leather Hand Bags" — among the earliest known commercial use of the term.
Paris Gold
Gold Medal at the Paris International Exhibition. Individual craftsmen also awarded for their rare skill.
Churchill
Winston Churchill purchases a portmanteau from H.J. Cave & Sons.
Everest
Osilite trunks accompany the Houston–Mt. Everest Expedition — the first flight over the summit.
Collection One
Thirteen pieces — each made in runs of fewer than fifty.
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Since 1839
The Same Conviction
What Harriet Jane Cave began continues: that luxury is the quiet confidence of something made without compromise.
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