Early Days (1854-1892)
Louis Vuitton did not succeed until just after his death. Vuitton started with flat luggage. This luggage was lightweight, and was bought by France's Empress Eugénie in its first year of sale. In 1860, Vuitton was forced to relocate, where he expanded due to increasing demand. 7 years later, in Louis Vuitton won a bronze medal at the World's Fair. In 1871, Vuitton gained ground in the industry although many of his works were getting copied. In 1880, his son Georges married. On their wedding day, Louis gave over control of the business to Georges. Only 3 years later, Louis became a grandfather as Georges son Gaston-Louis Vuitton was born. In 1892, Louis Vuitton started selling handbags. On February 27th, Louis Vuitton died. Georges now had full control of the company Louis Vuitton.
Golden Age of Louis Vuitton (1893-1936)
After Vuitton's death, Georges made Louis Vuitton a worldwide corporation. Just a year after Louis died, Georges displayed Louis Vuitton at the 1893 World Fair in Chicago, Illinois. Georges continued to run Vuitton well as it spread internationally and his book "Le Voyage" [The Journey] was published in 1894.
In 1896, nearing the turn of the century, Louis Vuitton put out its trademark canvas. The 'Monogram Canvas', as it came to be called is shown to the right, as it uses various symbols and the Louis Vuitton logo, LV. Georges then sailed to the United States, in which he toured various cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. He sold Vuitton products during the visit.
In 1899 Georges exhibited Vuitton products at the maiden Paris Auto Show.
At the turn of the century, in 1900, Georges Vuitton was given the honor to set up the "Travel Items and Leather Goods" section of the 1900 Paris World Fair. In 1901, the Louis Vuitton Company introduced the 'Steamer Bag', a small handbag to be kept inside Vuitton luggage trunks.
3 years later, in 1904 Georges chaired the jury for the St. Louis World Fair. In the same year, the Louis Vuitton company introduced a new line of trunks that have special compartments for items such as perfumes, clothing, and other goods.
In 1906, Georges' son Gaston-Louis married Renee Versille and Louis Vuitton introduces trunks for automobiles.
In 1914, the Louis Vuitton Building opens in Champs-Elysees. The building was the largest travel-goods store in the world at that time. Store locations open in New York, Bombay, Washington, London, Alexandria and Buenos Aires as World War I begins.
In 1924, only eight years after the end of World War I, the 'Keepall' is invented. This bag foreran the duffel bag in a travel bag for light travel to keep necessities in.
In 1929, the seventy-fifth anniversary of Louis Vuitton, a toiletry case is introduced specifically for opera singer Marthe Chenal. It could fit bottles, brushes, mirrors, powder boxes and more toiletries.
In 1931, Louis Vuitton introduced exotic bags such as a handbag of crocodile skin, as well as elephant hide handbags for the Colonial Exhibition.
In 1932, Louis Vuitton introduced the Nóe bag. This bag was made for champagne vinter to transport bottles.
In 1933, the Louis Vuitton Speedy bag was introduced.
In 1936, the golden age of Louis Vuitton ends as Georges Vuitton passes away. Estimates attribute Georges Vuitton with over 700 new Vuitton designs. Gaston-Louis Vuitton assumes control of the company. The secretary trunk is introduced for Leopold Stokowski, a conductor.
via Wikipedia
