... to make your job easier. You can be pretty sure that all coverings on trunks were put on with hide glue. This was the common glue in use up until the early 20th century. It is water soluble. That is, water will loosen it up. Leather, canvas, and paper are all similar in their removal. Canvas is by far the hardest, then leather, and paper is a snap. The idea is to cut around the edges of the panels and pull the section of covering off.

Canvas:

To remove canvas start by spraying a panel of canvas with the spray bottle. While the water is soaking in you can start cutting around the edges. After you have made your cuts, work the knife under the canvas at a corner and lift it up. If all is well, you can pull the panel of canvas off at this time. It will often come off in one piece if you have made good cuts. But it won't always come up. Why not? .....................