Tru-Vue Library Cases

With their growing library of films, it makes sense that Tru-Vue would come up with attractive ways for buyers to store all those little film boxes. It’s pretty cool to see how the library case design evolved over the years. Serious collectors get way into the small details like latches, hinges, interior colors, etc., and are always excited to come across a new variation.

Paper-Covered Library Case

This is the earliest Tru-Vue case that we know of. The words “Tru-Vue Library” are embossed in gold on the top, and it features a swing latch closure and a seamed hinge. This case came with the earliest Art Deco-style viewers and Tru-Vue film boxes, accommodating 1 viewer and 12 film boxes.

The interior has a built-in divider separating the viewer and film compartments, and can be found with either a textured paper or suede-like lining.

Paper-covered case with metal swing latch

Textured paper interior (left) and velvet interior (right)

Leatherette Library Case

The leatherette Tru-Vue case has a textured, leather-like covering and introduced metal hinges and a snap latch instead of the swing latch used by the earlier, paper-covered case. It’s also smaller than the paper-covered case above, accommodating a viewer and only 8 film boxes, instead of 12.

We have three styles of leatherette cases that are very slightly different in size.

Smallest Leatherette Library Case

The smallest one, shown here, has a fancier latch, and we’ve only seen it with green velvet interior. Additionally, the exterior of all the ones in our collection seem to have a green hue.

As for the contents, we’ve only seen it with the early, glossy-faceplate Art Deco-style viewer and early blue film boxes, so we think this was the first version of the leatherette case.

Small leatherette library cases with green tone and now "blind" lettering (previously gold?).

Olive green velvet interiors with early blue box films and early, shiny Art Deco-style viewer.

Small leatherette case with green velvet interior and built-in divider separating film and viewer comparments.

Comparison of larger paper-covered case (12 films) and smaller leatherette case (8 films).

Midsize Leatherette Library Case

The midsize leatherette case has a plain metal snap latch. Additionally, as you can see in the picture below, you might find the midsize leatherette cases with the gold “Tru-Vue Library” embossing intact, weathered away, or never there at all.

The case interiors are velvet, and we have gold and pink interiors in our collection. As for the exterior color, we only have the reddish brown in our collection, but it also came in dark green.

Larger leatherette Tru-Vue library cases in brown. We're almost certain there was never any lettering on the bottom case in this photo.

Velvet interiors, in gold, and pink, with built-in divider separating the film and viewer compartments.

Comparison of the latches on the earlier, smaller leatherette case (left) and the slightly larger leatherette case (right).

Green velvet interior and blue box films in green case (right). Larger case (left) with early red box films and pink/gold interior.

Largest Leatherette Library Case

The largest leatherette case in our collection has a purple interior and a latch similar to the latch found on the Bobby Jones case.

Standard Tru-Vue Wood Library Case

We have 6 patterns for Tru-Vue’s standard-size wood and inlaid wood cases. They have metal hinges on the back and the opening is on the short side of the case. The cardboard inserts are designed to accommodate 1 viewer and 12 film boxes. We have two insert versions in our collection: a tan marbled one-piece insert with a built-in ledge for the viewer and a glossy red two-piece insert combo that has one insert with a viewer ledge and one without. The advantage of the two-piece insert set is that Tru-Vue could fill and sell an entire case with only film by using two of the “non-ledge” inserts.

One-piece tan insert and two-piece glossy inserts

Small Non-Standard Inlaid Wood Library Case

We have two designs for the small, non-standard inlaid wood case. Both open on the long side of the case like the larger one above, making them different than the more common standard inlaid wood cases.

While both are designed to accommodate one Art Deco-style viewer and 6 film boxes, they are slightly different. As the close-up pictures below show, one of them opens evenly in half — the bottom half is the same size as the top half — while the other opens more towards the top so that the top half is smaller than the bottom half. While both wood cases are the same size, the custom cardboard inserts are slightly different sizes to account for the different bottom-half sizes.

Small, non-standard inlaid wood Tru-Vue cases

Art Deco Tru-Vue viewer and 6 film boxes

One case opening is offset towards top (left), the other case opening is in the middle

Large Non-Standard Inlaid Wood Library Case

This inlaid wood case is non-standard because it opens on the long side of the case. This is the larger of this style in our collection, accommodating one Art Deco-style viewer and 12 film boxes in a custom cardboard insert.

Large, non-standard Tru-Vue inlaid wood case

One Art Deco Tru-Vue viewer and 12 film boxes

Deluxe Inlaid Wood Library Case

Besides opening on the long side, other design differences seen on this case are the feet and the lift tab to open the lid.

Embossed Vinyl Tru-Vue Library Case

These vinyl cases have either a flower or an eagle embossed on top with or without gold detailing. These have no metal latches or hinges. The seamed hinge didn’t hold up as well as the metal hinges to repeated opening and closing, so you’ll often find the lid very worn where it attaches to the base, or completely separated — similar to the first paper-covered case.

The Tru-Vue name in script is embossed on the inside of the lid, and some cases have the DeLuxe Craft logo embossed on the back. DeLuxe Craft created many similar types of cases.

The interiors of these cases have red lining. In our eagle-and-star embossed cases, the red lining is covered with small gold stars. As dividers, these cases use glossy red cardboard inserts that are similar to those found in the wood cases above. However, the film insert is slightly shorter than the viewer insert and, as a result, it sits atop a cardboard strip.