Can I remove the canvas covering?

Many people strip the outer fabric when it begins to rot. Doing so reveals the pine boards underneath. Keep in mind the maker didn't intend that wood to be seen. The timber will have glue residue, rough grain and staining from the original tacks.

The leather lifting handles on the sides have perished, so is there a way to replace them without damaging the surrounding wooden panels?

You can usually fit replacement leather loops without disturbing the main carcase. The original handles are held in place by metal caps secured with split pins or simple nails. Extracting those old pins takes patience. Once they are out, you slide a new strap into the metal cap and tap it back into the existing holes.

What is the smell inside?

That damp odour is just decades of stale air mixed with decaying paper. The original starch paste attracts moisture. Airing it out on a dry day helps immensely.

I found one in a local barn with thick wooden bands running across the lid, but some of those curved timber pieces are cracked in the middle. Can they be fixed?

Those oak slats took a lot of punishment during transit. A clean break across the grain is common when heavy items strike the curved lid. Repairing them requires steaming a new piece of timber to match the exact radius. A simpler option is to glue and clamp the existing break, leaving the historic damage visible but secure. Most buyers accept cracked slats as part of the working history. They rarely affect the overall stability if the main pine boards underneath aren't compromised.

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Antique Dome Top Trunks

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Featuring heavily reinforced curved lids built to shed water and resist stacking, antique dome top trunks were essential travel containers used to transport clothing on stagecoaches and trains.