RIMOWA invites you to the exhibition SEIT 1898, an experiential voyage through the German maison's rich history marking its 125th anniversary.
Information ↓
New York
Chelsea Factory
547 W 26th St, New York, NY 10001, USA
From September 8th to September 17th, 2023
Open from 11am to 7pm
Monday to Sunday
Free admission
Tokyo06.09.23 → 06.18.23Closed
Shanghai12.15.23 → 01.03.24Coming soon
Cologne---Coming soon
Overview ↓
With destinations finally returning to calendars after an unprecedented pause, SEIT 1898 is a retrospective that comes at a fitting time to reflect on what it means to move. As we look to the future, the exhibition looks back on the cultural and technological forces that shaped a momentous 125 years of travel and the unique mark each era left on the luggage we trust.
A careful selection of over 100 cases from RIMOWA’s archives guides visitors through this rapid evolution. Elements of the brand’s past are expressively reconstructed in evocative dioramas marking the materials, places, people, trends, and craft that defined its identity.
SEIT 1898 shares generations of tools that were made by RIMOWA’s hands, but defined by the discerning travelers that reached for them for 125 years and counting.
RIMOWA History ↓
1898
Founder Paul Morszeck opens a saddlery shop on Cologne's Bechergasse 16, which quickly becomes a workshop producing specialized cases, wardrobes, and steamer trunks crafted in hardwearing wood with an emphasis on lightweight construction and stability.
1900
Suitcases are made of leather-coated plywood, cardboard, or vulcanized fiber. This includes cases designed to be attached to early automobiles, which came equipped with guides on the “art of travel” for a generation just discovering the joys of a road trip.
1927
Aluminum is introduced as an optional trim on vulcanized fiber cases. Advertised as Edel-Aluminium, or “precious aluminum,” it’s a modern means of signaling status and style.
1950
Inspired by the golden age of aviation, Paul Morszeck's son Richard introduced the first iconic grooves. They pay homage to the world's first all-metal commercial aircraft, the German-made Junkers F 13 from 1919.
1976
Dieter Morszeck, Paul Morszeck’s grandson, develops the Tropicana, the first waterproof camera case. It is a groundbreaking innovation for professionals in filmmaking and photography, whose equipment was previously subject to water, humidity, tropical heat, and arctic cold.
2000
First in the luggage sector to use polycarbonate in what is now the Essential line, continuing its commitment to not just meeting the demands of modern travel but shaping it.
2007
Adapted from office chairs and hospital beds, the launch of the Multiwheel® System allows the heaviest suitcases to turn on their own axis with little effort through a double-wheel mechanism.
2019
RIMOWA's New Era: Introducing the Never Still Line and expanding mobility essentials with the RIMOWA.
2022
Lifetime manufacturer’s guarantee for all new cases.