Edison all-leather steamer trunk

The label tells us:

A LA MALLE ÉDISON
PATENTED S.G.D.G.

Establishment founded in 1850
J. Krögner
11, Avenue de l’Opéra, 11th arrondissement
Formerly, 16 Rue Portefoin, 16th arrondissement
PARIS
Manufacturer of travel goods

What this tells us:

Trade name: À la Malle Édison → this was the business name.

Manufacturer: J. Krögner, craftsman/merchant of trunks and travel goods.

Dates and addresses:

Former address: 16 rue Portefoin (Paris, Marais district).

New address (after approximately 1870, when the avenue was opened): 11 avenue de l’Opéra, Paris.

Marked “Patented S.G.D.G.” → This means that Krögner had filed a patent (probably for a trunk system), but without a state guarantee (a mandatory requirement at the time).

“Founded in 1850” → the brand claimed a history dating back to the Second Empire.

Historical Research

J. Krögner, a trunk maker in Paris, is listed in late 19th-century trade directories as a manufacturer of travel goods.

The name “À la malle Édison” (Edison Trunk) appears to be a fanciful name chosen by Krögner: likely a reference to Edison’s modernity (associated with progress and electric light), but without any direct connection to Thomas Edison.

The address 11 Avenue de l’Opéra was prestigious: many luggage and travel accessory companies established themselves there (just steps from the department store district).

Comparison with other trunk makers

While Krögner may not have the renown of a Louis Vuitton, Goyard, or Moynat, it belonged to the same ecosystem of Parisian manufacturers of travel trunks. Parallels can be drawn with other brands bearing the "À la…" moniker (e.g., "À la Malle des Indes," "À la Malle Américaine," etc.), which played on the imagery of modern travel.