The suitcase from the museum’s collection belonged to the family of Anton Chekhov’s nephew. Before the advent of suitcases, people used to carry their belongings in bindles, sacks, baskets, and trunks. As the traveling culture evolved, more convenient, practical, and aesthetically pleasing types of luggage began to appear.

During the golden age of American railroading, the first traveling bags were made of old carpets, hence their name “carpet bags”. Later, luxurious suitcases appeared, made of expensive leather.

In the 17th–19th centuries, the roads were dangerous, and travelers rarely brought along a lot of luggage. Those who could afford a larger carriage placed trunks, suitcases, and boxes at the back. When Anton Chekhov was traveling through Siberia in the direction of Sakhalin in 1890, he was almost killed in a road accident after being hit by a mail coach. He described the accident in his letter to his family in May 1890,

Suitcases had rigid frames and were covered with leather. The ones made of artificial leather were lighter and cheaper. In the Soviet Union, there was a popular suitcase design with a pair of locks, one to each side of the handles. Business suitcases had a rigid base.

A wheeled suitcase was invented by the American Bernard Sadow. He came up with the idea while traveling with his wife. When he was carrying his bags at the seaport, he noticed how easily a dock worker was moving heavy luggage on a wheeled platform. In 1972, Sadow was granted a patent for a wheeled suitcase. At first, such suitcases often wobbled out of control, but Sadow managed to make them more stable by equipping them with a counterweight.

On his way to Sakhalin, Chekhov bought a new suitcase in Tomsk. He described it in a letter,