Why is it so important to revive heritage? What is the importance of storytelling and how can reviving an old brand be so important? We need history to influence our today's world. We often reference iconic moments, trends, and influences from the past, because they have such an impact on todays world. Here's a short story as a part of a weekly sequel to our introduction to The Portable Porter company.
2020, the year the world practically stopped moving. During this period, Porter really began to put the pedal to the metal. We dove deep into the exploration and research of the Portable Porter Company. We explored the functionality of the original device and studied letters and newspaper clippings from seventy years ago. The story felt so vivid like time had just sat still, history was right in front of us. How lucky to possess such value, could we have the best suitcase story in the 21st century?
Back in 1948 wheeled luggage wasn’t yet in operation. Instead, there were trunks and trench coats, laced leather shoes and smart suites, pipes and top hats. Pennies fell short for a lot of people and life was frequently harder for Londoners during this period, this only being three years after the Second World War the United Kingdom was finding its feet again.
People would often travel to visit families which had relocated after the evacuations, traveling was rather a necessity as opposed to a luxury. Large trunks were being lugged backwards and forward from London to Edinburgh. Standing on a wet and drizzly platform at Surbiton station, London in 1948 founder Herbert Mingo had arrived home from travelling the country as an entertainer. He noticed how inefficient it was to have a porter at each stop lugging luggage on and off carriages. His lightbulb moment came as a question, could there not be a better way to carry luggage?
Herbert then went away to put pen to paper. His idea... a large material band, with two sets of wheels. To be assembled to any trunk briefcase, or vanity case. This was the patent brief and description of Herbert's lightbulb invention. It revolutionised the way we now carry and move personal belongings all over the world. A rough estimate is around 1.5 billion people travel per year, At least 50% would use wheels to transport possessions, a crazy thought.
Original Portable Porter, 1948
Luggage has come a long way since the 40s, from the simple solution of adding wheels to the extraordinary development of technology such as built-in GPS devices, USB charging facilities, anti-bacterial linings, telescopic handles, electronic padlocks and so on. Our story has just begun as we revive the identity of the Portable Porter Company in our own unique way, our goal is to make beautiful products and inspire a community of travellers all of the world. Join us and become part of the Porter Family.
