Gladstone bag
The stiff leather bag that opens into two equal halves – the doctor’s and the traveller’s bag.
The bag was named after the British prime minister William Gladstone, who travelled a great deal. The frame allowed the bag to open fully, and its contents were easy to see.
It became the doctor’s bag and the model for many later travelling bags and briefcases. The best were made of thick leather and could be used for generations.
Materials: Leather, metal frame, brass buckles
Manufacture: Made by bag makers in London from the 1850s.
The metal frame that opens the bag into two equal halves.
The straight sides and flat base.
The straps with buckles around it.