The original company was established in 1839 by Harriet Jane Cave. H. J. Cave was well known for their railway baskets, as it provided a lighter alternative to the solid leather trunks.
Railway baskets were lightweight waterproofed canvas or leather wicker trunks that swapped heavier wood for wicker baskets. These bags were advertised to women in magazines as early as 1868. Given H. J. Cave's success, and after the death of her husband Benjamin, Shortly thereafter, Harriet moved premises to 40 Wigmore Street,
Katherine Mansfield,
T. E. Lawrence, William
Gladstone, and
Winston Churchill. After the death of Harriet, the company was passed to heirs William and Sarah Cave. As travel shifted from railway to automobiles, William and Sarah would create the "Osilite" trunk. These cases were widely used by wealthy immigrants to America and were a popular early flight case and was used on the
1933 Mt. Everest Expedition. And extended workshops at 4 & 5 Blanford Mews, Baker street. Sarah would orchestrate the move to 12
Cavendish Street, and shortly thereafter her nephew Benjamin Cave would take over. Benjamin Cave would advertise heavily towards Americans in London and began reintroducing the Osilite trunk as a core product offering. and was focused on maintaining their vintage collections,
archival studies, and
bespoke items. In 2021, H. J. Cave was sold to foreign owners and continues to sell products on a bespoke basis. ==References==