Take A Look At How BAGS Have Evolved Over These Years
I am a bag. I lug the essence of your travel. Wherever you go, I go too. This time, My City Links explores my history to expand your knowledge. Yes, I am a suitcase, I am a trunk, and I am much more!
I was born to serve my sole purpose in life; to carry. Be it your clothes, your pictures or even your toiletries. I carry everything; no complains, no demands! It never had started with a bang for me. A hundred and twenty years ago, I functioned as a Trunk..jpg)
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I was big, strong and sturdy. But there was one downside, I had mass, so, I also had weight. A lot of weight. Travel during my trunk days was a richly affair. Therefore, it was not the travellers who had to carry me around, but a bunch of able-bodied men called ‘the help’. With my steel or wooden bodies, I was bulky nevertheless.
As the consciousness dawned upon my weight, serious measures were taken. I was covered in leather, given clasps and was made to lose a couple of pounds. Henceforth, I was called a Suitcase.
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Thanks to bigger airports and railway stations, I got a lot of work done. I was not wood and steel anymore but hard plastic and synthetic fabric. My metal clasps were replaced with zippers, and God was it a relief! All the extra bulk was gone and I felt so much lighter!
It was in the 80s, I got wheels and came to be known as a Roll-aboard bag. A suitcase by today’s standards.
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With wheels, I was no longer a burden. Travelling became even easier when in the 2000s, came in the collapsible handles. Quite ubiquitous now, even the load of dragging me around has been nullified.
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My tale as a ‘bulk’ luggage ends here. Time to focus on the smaller things now, Carry-Ons. I have always been a diva as a carry-on; all about size, shape, colour and form. Talk about Handbags!
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Of course, I started as a purse presumably in Europe in the 18th century but it was only in the 1900s that I took my present form. The 20th century was the most happening era for me as I became more travel-friendly. But I am not a luxury anymore. Today, I have become the paragon that everyone can afford!
To all Odias, I must say something in particular. Odisha is known all over the globe for its cultural heritage and rich history in the arts. I feel proud to be a part of this land as well for it is because of my existence here that the world knows of my Pipili appliqué handbags!
Picture Courtesy: odishatourism.gov.in
Last but not least, the 2010s. The era where literally anyone can travel to any part of the world, be it luxury travels or travelling on a shoestring budget, every traveler definitely owns one of my newest avatars, the Backpack!
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As a backpack today, while it is mostly the thrill-seekers that prefer me over other kinds of luggage, almost everyone today owns one of me. It is perhaps one of my most adaptable forms for which I have also become synonymous with Rucksacks, Knapsacks, Sack-packs and even Back-sacks!
Yes, over the years I have transformed greatly. From being a bulky rectangular object, I have become a sporty equipment, and I will continue to evolve. With Christmas and New Year just around the corner, satisfy the wanderlust within you and carry me along. My job, doesn’t seem so boring after all now, does it?
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