Briefcase
flexible item to store possessions in, especially documents and other flat materials, with handle
A briefcase or an attaché case (/əˈtæʃeɪ/) is a narrow hard-sided box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and equipped with a handle.
History
The earliest form of a bag resembling a briefcase was the ancient Roman loculus. The loculus was a rectangular satchel used to carry a soldier's rations and belongings. By the fifteenth century, this style of satchel saw widespread use for carrying personal belongings and documents. Satchels closely resembling modern briefcases began being used by soldiers in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1860, 10 Downing Street began to use a red briefcase to hold British budgetary papers, which created an association between briefcases and economy and business. Briefcases became status symbols for those associated with white-collar professions such as business and law in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Modern variations of the briefcase include the portfolio for loose papers, the padfolio with a writing pad, the attaché with a box-like structure, and the travel briefcase with extra compartments.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Briefcase” as flexible item to store possessions in, especially documents and other flat materials, with handle. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as flexible item to store possessions in, especially documents and other flat materials, with handle. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q915026. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1860.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Briefcase”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Briefcase primary sources, Briefcase archive and Briefcase research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Briefcase”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Briefcase” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.