THE CASE FOR THE SUITCASE MUSEUM

The mission of the Suitcase Museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit and to stimulate conversation about suitcases; not only as an object of commerce, but as a cultural item
that collectively represents the
history of modern travel.

Denver, Colorado is the birthplace
of the modern suitcase, and with a storied local history of innovation
and development that spans nearly a century, the Suitcase Museum will celebrate this rich history, as well
as “travel" as it relates to our collective memory as individuals and society as a whole.

Quirky enough to become a destination for tourists and locals alike, the Suitcase Museum will combine history, travel, technology and creativity into a place that supports a variety of agendas throughout the community.

A “CRAZY” IDEA THAT IS PERFECT FOR DENVER
At first the idea of a Suitcase Museum seems nutty on the surface. It’s also totally out of context frommany of the ideas that we’ve come up with thus far - and by far the most viable. The Suitcase Museumwill quickly become a Denver Institution - in part because of its twist on Denver history. With a mission to collect, exhibit, sell and provide suitcases to foster kids, first in Denver, and in the future, nationally.We already have a fully-formed 501c3 and are ready to develop the concept.

HISTORY IS AT THE CORE OF THIS CONCEPT
Huh? what does a suitcase have to do with Denver? It’s a little known fact, but Denver is thebirthplace of the modern suitcase. Originally launched in 1912 as Shwayder Trunk ManufacturingCompany, and later re-named Samsonite in the late 1940s, Samsonite was headquartered in Denver until 2005. Being home to the modern suitcase, it only makes sense to create a “monument” to celebrate this Denver original. This will be a museum of history, technology, creativity and curiosity.

WHAT DEFINES MODERN TRAVEL MORE THAN THE SUITCASE?
We’ve discovered is that there is a completely other-worldy aspect of what the suitcase represents as a cultural icon in our collective memory. The Suitcase Museum will use it’s collection to explore numerous concepts of memory, travel, form and function. This museum will explore both the obviousand the abstract ideas about the suitcase.